Dimensional Drift
by Fugertech
Summary: The life of Aiden Crownguard couldn't have been more unnatural. After the events of the Tower of Ancients, Aiden finds himself with a promise yet to be cashed in and life turning towards the upside. However, the reappearance of a certain being prompts Aiden to join him in a new kind of adventure. Specifically, an adventure spanning a whole new world. (Lux X OC) (Explanation Inside)
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hey all you beautiful people! I'm back in the writing game! Finally found a story idea that the fire burns brightly for, so I hope to have this one last me quite awhile.

Anywho, thank you in advance for reading. Love to see my stories get views; makes my day honestly. Fair warning though, my current predicament with internet leaves me with not too many opportunities to upload stories. This will (hopefully) soon be rectified, but until then my upload schedule for Dimensional Drift could be spastic. As always, feel free to drop a review or favorite it or whatever.

Before we begin though, I'd just like to say a few things. First is that I've done my best to explain the backstory of the main character (my OC Aiden Crownguard) in this chapter without rambling on incessantly. Hopefully I've done a good enough job, but if you have any questions that need answered then feel free to ask me in a PM or Review. Second is that I will probably be doing Omakes after some of the chapters just as little additions I think of while writing.

Ok, time for the actual story! ONWARDS!

Prologue - The Past

The sound of rain resonated around Piltover's empty streets. Every resident with half a mind was sheltered in a building somewhere, waiting for the terrible thunderstorm to end. Every now and then, a blinding flash would light up the sky and the rumble that shook buildings came not long after. It should've been surprising to see someone out and about, seeming unconcerned by the rain and lightning.

To Aiden, it really wasn't.

The dark-haired 22-year-old shook his head again as more and more water accumulated on his head. Crimson eyes peered out from under a grey hood, seeming to glow in the dim light. A sword, longer than your typical blade, shook slightly with ever step he took. To most, he looked much the part of a wandering swordsman, save for his more modern clothes. In reality, Aiden wanted nothing to do with being a sell-sword. The Third Great War (as his teacher and greatest friend Losfar had so grimly referred to it as) was over. Valoran had entered peacetime. Noxus, Demacia, Ionia…every city-state was reeling in shock from the revelation that their treasured Institute of War had been corrupted by a psychopathic shadow.

Gorgreth.

Just the thought of the name made Aiden grimace as he walked down the deserted streets. The self-entitled Overlord, ages older than most beings alive on the face of the planet, had been the cause of said corruption. Naught more than a shadow hiding in a metal carapace of armor, Gorgreth had been vanquished once before in Valoran's history. Dwelling solely in the remains of a powerful artifact known as the Alternis Stone, Gorgreth's soul had waited until the perfect time to gather its strength and re-emerge.

Unlike anything mortal or otherwise, though, Gorgreth was purely constructed of corralled magical energy in his new form. The amount of power was astronomical; Gorgreth stood to rival beings like Aurelion Sol in terms of strength. Said power had been built up through multiple years of gathering strength from other artifacts and living creatures, however. A process that had taken a lifetime, Aiden had undone in the course of one day.

Didn't mean it had been easy.

It certainly didn't mean Aiden got to live like a normal person. Not that he was. Born to a bloodline of powerful spellcasters and warriors known as the Daedrid, Aiden had not discovered his power until he was around the age of 17. That was also about the time he learned of Gorgreth and his duty to stop the Overlord. For three years, Aiden, his adoptive sister Luxanna (born of house Crowngaurd), and Losfar had wandered Valoran, amassing allies and training Aiden to be ready to fight Gorgreth when the time came. They weren't alone however; there was Exavier, an ex-soldier of Piltover who was an expert marksman and weilder of his special exo-suit; Sypher, a sarcastic and highly intelligent inventor who'd taken to the reclusive life to avoid the spotlight; Lyle, a gifted apprentice mage and marksman; the legendary Enforcer/Sheriff duo of Piltover, Caitlyn and Vi; and Rivel, a deformed man who was an accomplished researcher in blood-related fields (and an accomplished Hemomancer).

Their team wasn't necessarily the most normal or most cohesive unit, but since when are teams that way? The three years Aiden spent with his companions were arguably the best three years of his life. Up until the final battle, that was. Fighting Gorgreth himself was, of course, the hard part. Getting to him had been difficult as well. Due to the amount of power he'd amassed, the Overlord had effectively bent all the Champions of the League to his will besides a select few who were already too tainted or powerful for his magic to affect them. Those who weren't fighting for Gorgreth joined Aiden in bringing him down. Not only did Gorgreth have Champions, the best and most capable warriors from every city-state, at his disposal, but he also had an unending army of shadow creatures and warriors. That made reaching Gorgreth's black palace a challenge.

Aiden discovered he could reverse the effects of Gorgreth's mind-control beforehand, and was able to acquire a few more allies from the Champions of the League. Any he couldn't were knocked out. Finally, after hours of carefully fighting and skillfully outflanking the nearly mindless drones of Gorgreth, Aiden, along with Lux, Losfar, Rivel, and Exavier, made it to his palace and engaged the Overlord himself.

Both Aiden and Gorgreth had absorbed the powers of alternate Crystalline Relics, Gorgreth the remaining power of the Alternis Stone and Aiden the power of the Star Fragment, and so the fight eventually fell between them alone. It was costly for both; by that point Aiden had nearly mastered the full strength of his bloodline and a few newfound powers as well, but it was all he could do to keep up with the immense well of power Gorgreth wielded. Gorgreth, similarly, knew every trick he himself could muster, but expended a lot of power on hitting and taking hits.

Aiden was the first to wear out. Caught off-guard by one of Gorgreth's stronger attacks, the Overlord held him by the throat and prepared to finish off the one and only mortal strong enough to oppose him. Fate, it seemed, had other plans, for even the divine beings were against Gorgreth's rise to power. The God of Blood and Pain, patron god to all Hemomancers and known only as The Reaver, made a deal with Aiden. Aiden would trade the Reaver's strength for Gorgreth's soul. It meant that Gorgreth would continue to exist, and the Reaver would have full control over whether or not to finish Gorgreth fully or release him back into the world. Not an easy decision, by any means, but it was the only alternative to dying.

Aiden accepted.

From that point onwards, boosted by the powers of a divine being, Aiden gained the upper hand and held it until the fight was finished. Both stood atop the Overlord's palace as Aiden held his scythe at the ready to dispatch Gorgreth. But he was stopped. Gorgreth, knowing full well that his defeat was at hand, decided to impart some passing knowledge to Aiden. After all, even corrupted beings of pure power had a degree of honor.

"I am not the end," was all he said.

Another year passed. Everyone rested and relaxed in the comfort of victory whilst the continent rebuilt itself. Aiden and Lux, although Aiden was an adopted sibling, found feelings for each other. It became normal once Aiden assumed his family last name; Haftsfell. Don't ask why. (A/N: I SEE YOU ASKING WHY! STOP THAT RIGHT THIS INSTANT!)

Peace never lasts forever though. Soon, Aiden could feel his power waning. There wasn't a reason why; he was in his prime, with no trace of disease or sickness present in his being. That was, until he heard it one day: The chime of a bell. Losfar became frantic at the news, and soon everyone was scouring old texts to find a passage Losfar said he _knew_ was there. It didn't take long; Sypher had a network of spider-drones at his disposal to assist with the search.

The book was ancient, kept alive by careful preservation techniques and enchantments to keep it intact. It told of a great Bell Tower that appeared in Valoran only when the Bell was rung. The Bell itself served to slowly strip beings of their powers to strengthen itself before entirely obliterating the world. How anyone came to understand this knowledge was a question reserved for the divines, but more searching revealed that the Bell Tower had a powerful Divine guardian named Theadrin. The question was raised; where was the Guardian if the bell was being rung?

Thus their search for the Tower of Ancients (for that was the Bell Tower's name) began. Every inch of Valoran was carefully scoured until finally, once the effects of the Bell were felt everywhere, someone found it. Everyone gathered near the Tower before attempting to scale it. Their efforts were halted once they discovered that the inside was a lethal maze of traps. The outside featured no such obstacles, but Aiden was the only person who could scale to the top with his powers. It seemed to project a field that repelled everyone but him.

At the last stretch of his strength, Aiden confronted the being who had been ringing the bell and began to fight him. Throughout their fight the being, a 12-foot-tall man wearing nothing but a loincloth and wielding a giant hammer of stone, continued to attempt to ring the bell. When he wasn't attempting to squash Aiden, that was. In a stroke of genius or luck, Aiden managed to drain the giant's power by striking the bell himself, for whoever struck the bell was unaffected by its resonance.

That allowed Aiden to finish the giant off. All at once, the Bell released its energy and restored Valoran to its previous state. Another being appeared, who revealed himself as Theadrin, and told Aiden what had transpired. Overcome by a dark presence, Theadrin's body had been seized by corruption and made to ring the bell against his will. Restrained as he was, Theadrin himself was unable to stop himself and so continued to ring the Bell.

He thanked Aiden before explaining that there was Divine justice to be done to whomever, or whatever, had possessed his body, and that he would undoubtedly repay Aiden at some point.

To say that Aiden's life was average would be offensive.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N:** Hey, it's me again! Just dropping by real quick to say feel free to hit that review button if you so please. Helps keep me motivated (I know, I'm a groveling dirt wad) to finish the story. Stay frosty and best of luck!

* * *

Chapter One - Present Day

Aiden let out another sigh as he trudged through more ankle-high water in an attempt to find his over-eager girlfriend. Truthfully, he should've expected them to become separated at one point or another in that massive shopping center. There were so many people, Aiden had given up trying to use his power to keep track of their location and just let Lux drag him along. In hindsight, he should've been paying more attention. All it took was the one stray person bumping into them to break his grip on her hand. Panic hadn't set in until his pocket had buzzed with a text from Lux saying " _Where are you? I'm outside."_

Immediately at the front doors, Aiden had discovered (much to his dismay) that it was raining. Even worse, Lux had been _nowhere_. Following her trail of energy, thanks again to his power, was easy due to the empty sidewalks as the faint trail of gold stood out brilliantly against Piltover's grey stone. He normally would've hurried; her wandering this far was a decent sign she was in danger. However, the golden insignia of a wand spiraling with light etched into the back of his right hand hadn't given him any warning signals. It was the mark of a Summoner and Champion; both took the others' mark when they partnered up for the fourteen years of conflict in the Institute of War. Aiden's own was a crimson eye with some intricate embroidery which, to his surprise, had appeared over Lux's left eye. It didn't hurt, according to Lux, and functioned the same as her mark on his hand; the other's emotions, thoughts, and current state of body could be felt through them.

Both he and Lux were still getting adjusted to the emotions and thoughts part, but whenever the other was in danger their signs glowed and alerted them. Hours after he'd received it, Aiden couldn't help but marvel at how nicely it fit on him. It just felt _right_. Right in a way that was indescribable and amazing. Lux agreed with how his mark felt. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the two had been dating for over three years now. Whatever the cause, though, they both enjoyed it.

Cars zoomed past on the street, lights brightening and fading with distance as they passed Aiden's still form. He was pondering how far ahead he could dash with his faux wings without passing her trace when the sigil on his hand suddenly started to burn. His eyes widened and he quickly drew his hand out of his pocket, checking to be sure it wasn't lying to him. The golden sigil burned brightly, filling his mind with emotions of panic, worry, and mostly…fear. Instinctually, Aiden could tell where Lux was, a beacon of light appearing on his mental map.

 _"Don't worry Lux, I'm on my way!"_ he thought, already channeling the energy through his body in preparation for a spell. _"They won't lay a finger on you."_

* * *

Lux, for her part, had been sufficiently worried beforehand. The pretty blonde wasn't sure what exactly had drawn her out of the mall, but it just kept beckoning to her. Some part of her mind told her to stop and wait for Aiden to catch up; she knew he would eventually. But her feet kept carrying her forward towards whatever was so alluring. It wasn't until she rounded that ally corner that her senses finally snapped back into focus.

By then it was too late.

A shadow appeared behind her, and acting on feeling more than skill Lux ducked and moved forward. There was a grunt of annoyance as she dodged the figure's grasping hands. Summoning light to her form, Lux fired off her trademark light bindings to teach the creepy pervert a lesson. Her eyes widened as he pulled out a circular disk and clicked the center. A wave of blue light exploded outwards, causing her to gasp as a cold feeling enveloped her body and her mana pool drained. As quickly as it had appeared, the cold feeling stopped but Lux was completely without mana. The shadow made a low chuckle as he replaced the disk within his trench coat. His face was obscured by a gas-mask, but Lux could tell he was grinning in triumph. Fear and panic filled her mind as she stood up and backed away.

That was when she felt the sigil on her eye light up. It was always a surreal experience; every time, her vision would grow sharper and red sigils in a language she couldn't understand appeared on everything. Aiden had described it as his sigil overlapping her normal eye and glowing (much like his own eyes did regularly; Lux was entrapped by those crimson orbs of his). A warmth spread through her body as Aiden's voice filled her head: _"Don't worry Lux, I'm on my way! They won't lay a finger on you."_

She almost cried in joy. Aiden always found her, regardless of circumstance or location, eventually. They'd also briefly been able to talk to each other! Granted, she hadn't said anything back, but that was mostly due to the advancing figure and her joy at Aiden's promised arrival. It wasn't that Lux couldn't defend herself; she wasn't some delicate flower who couldn't fight. With her mana drained, however, she was mostly powerless to stop the man in front of her. Her strength lied in casting powerful spells, not hand-to-hand combat.

Lux faltered a bit when her back touched a solid wall. End of the rope.

"Say goodnight, princess," the figure said, voice muffled by the mask he wore. Then he jumped forwards.

* * *

A teleportation spell was elementary for Aiden to cast. Every Summoner who had been in the League more than seven matches knew how to cast it. Of course, it was mostly used to move the Summoner's Champion across Summoner's Rift and had a long window of time where a Summoner was unable to cast it again. There were no such restrictions on the spell normally however. Well, besides the fact that one could only move so far before the spell became un-castable. Every worded spell had its limitations.

Not wishing to waste any of his energy in the event of a group, Aiden settled for the lengthy teleportation spell. The whole thing took a few seconds to recite in the Arcane language, but was worth it in the end. After finishing, Aiden felt himself become weightless momentarily as he was moved through space and time. Not even a millisecond later he reappeared…right in front of Lux. Something heavy, with grasping arms and hands, slammed into him. Aiden wasn't a pushover and easily used his amplified (a story for another time) strength to shove off the assailant. Crimson fire enveloped his right hand as he prepared to roast the poor fool alive.

Sufficiently startled, the assailant stumbled backwards but caught himself before falling over. Eyes squinted from behind the mask as a mark on its hand lit up with a blue energy. The dim lighting suddenly became crystal clear to his eyes, and they widened slightly. A man, dressed in dark jeans and a grey jacket, stood in front of the girl he'd been ready to kidnap. That put a wrench in his plans slightly. No matter; the interruption was unexpected by easily fixed. He'd just discovered these powers a week ago, and it had been simple use from there to practice them on unsuspecting targets. At first, it had been nothing but training dummies, but after a bit of practice with his teleporting ability, the man had moved onto testing live targets.

"Who are you?" Aiden demanded, left hand lingering on the hilt of his bastard sword, Legacy. He wasn't a lefty, but it would have to suffice as his right hand was currently busy gathering crimson flames. The stalker wasn't already dead due to the fact that Piltover's Sheriff, Caitlyn, would have his head if she found out.

She always seemed to find out.

Nothing but a low chuckle emanated from the man before he disappeared suddenly. Aiden peered with his special eyesight to find the perpetrator, but found nothing.

"What the-?" he muttered before a sharp blade was plunged through his stomach.

The masked assailant pulled his shard dagger out with a sadistic grin. This girl's boyfriend, or so she assumed, would get to watch as he had his way with her. Nobody denied Slim Joe his (twisted, sick) hobbies!

Or at least, that's what Slim Joe was thinking. Lux, at a glance, knew that Aiden wasn't near dead. Hell, the dagger that the man had used probably didn't even _sting_. Getting blasted by massive amounts of magic energy over and over again was an effective method of deadening nerves to lesser pains. Stabbed through the abdomen? Worst case scenario was it tickled. Caught off guard by the attack, however, Aiden fell to his knees and coughed up a bit of blood. Immediately, however, his improved natural healing factor went to work and patched up the hole within seconds. Years of practice and training had improved his skills massively, including the ones that he couldn't turn off. The healing factor, while nowhere near as good as that one Super Hero everyone had gone nuts about months prior, was great in its own regard. Aiden could heal from any wound to his abdomen, even his heart, and (if he was fast enough) could even fake a realistic death. He was most certainly fast enough; the process was complicated but it worked every time.

Turning to face Lux, Joe failed to notice Aiden stand up and casually flex his shoulders before turning. Joe felt a tap on his shoulder and he whirled around just in time to get grabbed by his throat and hoisted into the air. Aiden stood 6' 4", an impressive height, whilst Slim stood 6' 1". The distance off the ground wasn't overly massive, but it was enough.

"Next time you stab someone, it might be worth it to make sure they're actually dead," Aiden advised sagely before turning and flinging Joe as hard as he could out of the alley.

Joe landed with a thud, rolling over twice before his momentum stopped. The breath driven from his lungs, Joe attempted to stand before he felt the blade of a sword press against his neck.

"Stay down," Aiden ordered.

* * *

"Don't worry Aiden, I'll have him taken care of," a distinctly accented female voice assured an impatient Aiden as he sat in a plush red chair.

"He stabbed me. Through my stomach. That didn't exactly tickle," he said, voice bordering on heated.

The look that Caitlyn gave him made him look off at nothing in particular thoughtfully.

"Ok, maybe it tickled. But still…" Aiden's voice trailed off as his gaze found the Sheriff's again. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but the faintest trace of a grin ghosted her features.

The two were good friends from a time when necessity had drawn them together. In fact, everyone from their original group was on good terms with one another.

"Feeling better Lux?" the brunette questioned, switching her attention to the blonde who sat next to Aiden, fingers interlocked with his.

"Mostly," she said, taking a sip of the tea Caitlyn had graciously provided. Both Aiden and the Sheriff had been worried when Lux had explained what the man, who they now knew to be called Slim Joe, had done to weaken her.

Thanks to Caitlyn's tea (partially) and Aiden's constant flow of energy into her body (mainly), Lux was feeling restored. The latter required that the two keep physical contact, to which neither was really at odds with. All three friends were seated in Caitlyn's quaintly decorated office at the Police Station. It featured rather comfy seats, a few photos of various famous detectives in Piltover's history, and a desk that the Sheriff herself sat behind. One picture of her and her husband, Exavier, sat pointed towards her next to the mandatory computer she had to have. In honesty, Caitlyn didn't really use it, preferring to write out all of her reports by hand. In that sense, she supposed she was "old-fashioned."

With the technology of Piltover constantly on the rise, Caitlyn, now age 38, couldn't find it in herself to lean every new gadget some inventor created in his laboratory. Computers, still relatively new, had advanced quickly and left quite a few of Piltover's older residents in the dust. Phones had come around not long after, and it had (surprisingly) been Aiden's idea that he and Lux buy cellphones. Why? He had somehow convinced every one of their _other_ friends to buy them as well. He paid for many, but the point was that now everyone was connected…or so he thought.

Caitlyn hazarded a glance at the stack of paperwork she had to do tonight and let out an involuntary sigh. In the presence of two of her closest friends, she finally had a chance to relax. That didn't remove the fact that there was still work to be done, still criminals to be brought to justice and madmen to be hunted down. Aiden cocked an eyebrow, nodding towards the substantial pile of papers.

"Need any help with that?" he asked, almost without thinking. Caitlyn smiled at him sadly, shaking her head.

"I can't ask you to do that. It shouldn't take me that long, but thank you for the offer," she replied, knowing that Aiden was asking out of the goodness of his heart. He always wanted to help his friends.

Shrugging, Aiden leaned back in his chair a little bit and closed his eyes. His moment of contentment, just sitting there with his fingers entwined with Lux's, eyes closed and thinking of his warm comfy bed, ended when a timid knock sounded at the Sheriff's door. His eyes shot open as Caitlyn assumed her "business expression."

"Come in," she ordered, every trace of emotion gone from her voice save for annoyance. It was always funny to see Caitlyn deal with-.

"Sheriff Caitlyn, there's something that needs your attention," came the voice of her assistant, a rather short and thin man named Michael. He tried too hard to receive affections from the Sheriff, despite knowing that she was married and very much in love. Aiden disliked the man, and had offered on several occasions to find a suitable replacement. Every time she would decline him, stating that everyone deserved a chance.

"What is it now, Michael?" she asked sourly, turning towards the cracked wooden door. A pair of brown eyes and greasy blonde hair peered back at her.

"A new case popped up. You need to review it," he replied timidly.

"Very well. Thank you Michael."

The small man nodded and closed the door. Aiden swore he could hear Michael literally scurry away. Caitlyn let out another sigh and turned to the couple with an apologetic smile.

"Looks like something's come up again. I'm sorry, but you two will have to leave my office while I go check this out," she said, already grabbing her discarded top hat and standing. Aiden and Lux stood up together, Aiden nodding his assent.

"No problem Cait. Thanks for the tea and everything; I know I won't have to worry about that creep when he's locked up behind bars," Aiden thanked, draining his own cup of tea and setting it gently back onto Caitlyn's desk.

"Mhm, thanks for the tea! We'll have to go have a girl's day sometime," Lux said, beaming at her friend. Caitlyn couldn't help but return the smile.

"I'll let you get the details worked out. Surely there's a day I'll be free so we can go."

The trio walked out of Caitlyn's office, everyone stretching a little.

"Hey you two!" called another voice from somewhere near the front of the Office. It was Vi, the Enforcer of Piltover and Caitlyn's partner in justice. Her pink hair, along with face tattoo and giant metal gauntlets, certainly created quite the punk figure. She played the part as well, being very tomboy-ish and persistent. Despite their differing personalities, Caitlyn and Vi were a legendary duo who rarely failed to solve a case. Heck, they'd even eventually caught Jinx, a criminal mastermind who had caused chaos in Piltover for the longest time.

"Long time no see, Vi. How's life been treating you?" Aiden greeted, fist bumping the older woman in their general greeting.

"Eh, can't really complain. Cupcake and I have been pretty busy recently," Vi responded, using her pet name for Caitlyn to which she received a little glare from the Sheriff.

"Nice to see you too, Vi," Lux greeted cheerfully, briefly letting go of Aiden's hand to give the woman a hug.

"Lux! Aiden still treating you well?" Vi asked, pulling back and holding Lux at arm's length. Aiden rolled his eyes, arms crossing.

"Mhm," Lux nodded.

"Good. I'll always be ready to punch his face in if he breaks your heart, K?"

"Gee thanks Vi, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside," Aiden sarcastically remarked. Lux and Vi laughed.

They were interrupted by a short cough from Caitlyn.

"Whoops, sorry," he quickly apologized, offering Lux his hand again and nodding to Caitlyn and Vi.

"See you both later!" Lux said, waving to their friends before taking Aiden's hand and following him outside. The rain had let up slightly, and Aiden simply let Lux borrow his jacket to put over her head. The black shirt he was wearing did little to hide the muscle he'd acquired in his years of fighting things and training. For a 22 year old it was rather impressive, both Caitlyn and Vi thought before turning back to the task at hand. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Omake 1 -**

"No."

"But-!"

"Absolutely not Aiden. We went over this."

Aiden threw his hands up in the air in denial. Losfar was being difficult today, it seemed.

"Losfar, I'm 22 for god's sake! I think I can handle myself while in the presence of my _girlfriend!_ " he argued, pointing decisively at the aged war veteran standing before him. 6' 4" meant nothing when compared to a 7' giant like Losfar. The grizzled man's beard seemed to bristle as he prepared to argue again.

"That room isn't soundproofed and I won't have you and Lux waking us all up in the middle of the night with your antics!" he declared vehemently, glaring at Aiden through his bushy white eyebrows. Normally, the General wouldn't be so strict with Aiden over something so simple, but today hadn't been a pleasant one and he wasn't willing to give ground. Not today at least.

Aiden had other plans. His hands fell to his sides as he just shook his head, turning away.

"Whatever. I saved Valoran so I'm sleeping in the same room as Lux," he said, walking away from Losfar.

"AIDEN!"

"Nope, you can't change my mind about this. I'm doing it and you can't stop it."

"..."

"Besides," he added after a short pause, "I wasn't thinking of doing _that!_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed that little segment! If anyone finds anything I fudged up on in my grammar or spelling, please tell me. I often don't catch those mistakes by myself.


	3. Chapter Two

The residence that Aiden and Lux were staying in wasn't anything special. Heck, it wasn't even really their place. Located in the Waterfront district of Piltover was an old abandoned warehouse that had served as their group's base of operations for those long years finding Gorgreth. The outside may have looked decrepit and uninhabitable, but the inside was a renovated space that featured several housing units and other areas better suited to the tastes of individuals. Laboratories, a training room, an armory, and an airship dock were just a few to name.

Rivel, Sypher, Losfar, and Exavier all lived there as well. In truth, Aiden had been eying a few apartments around Piltover that he and Lux might move into. They enjoyed spending time with the crew and the antics that resulted from it, but sometimes it was inconvenient to be living with them. Despite the warehouse being massive, often times it felt cramped. Besides, he certainly had the money to purchase one. Adventuring, as it turned out, was quite the profitable business.

The couple arrived at the warehouse as the last rays of the sun peaked over the horizon. Walking to one of the side doors, Aiden tapped in a sequence of numbers on the nearby keypad. There was a small click as the door's locking mechanism released, and he opened the door for Lux to enter first. Once inside, Lux leaned up to give him a small peck on the cheek before heading off to the right towards the living area. Aiden felt a bit of heat rise to his face; it didn't matter how many times she did that, he would always get embarrassed. He couldn't help it.

The interior of the warehouse was many small areas separated by stacks of boxes. There was a path forward, to the right, and to the left from where Lux and Aiden had entered. Left was one of the laboratories that Sypher or Exavier usually worked in, and straight forward was towards the meeting room and the library.

 _"Losfar'll probably be in the library again,"_ Aiden reasoned, setting off to go find his mentor. Nowadays, the old war veteran spent his time staying fit and training or pouring over new reading material. Generally, Aiden found him doing the latter.

Walking down the row of boxes, Aiden eventually reached an area where they split again. This time taking the left path, he eventually reached an area where they boxes opened up into a large circular formation. Shelves of books and tomes filled the area, with the occasional wooden round table and set of chairs. Seated in one of the comfier chairs with a book on the table in front of him was none other than Losfar. With his short white hair, roughly cut beard, and bushy eyebrows, the General made a rather intimidating figure.

Or he would have, had soft snores not been emanating from his mouth as his eyebrows covered up the majority of his eyes. Aiden allowed himself a short chuckle as Losfar's snore deepened slightly. His 178 year age was finally starting to catch up to him, it seemed. Rolling his shoulders a little, Aiden tapped Losfar on his shoulder lightly. The old man awoke with a start, snuffling and grunting as he did.

"Hu-wha-?" he muttered before his eyes focused on Aiden's face. "Oh Aiden, it's you. Welcome back," he greeted, letting out a yawn.

"Hey Losfar. Enjoy your nap?" the younger man teased.

"When you get to my age, you tell _me_."

"Eh, fair enough point. Don't think I'll live quite as long as you though old friend."

"Who knows? We're still not entirely sure what your powers allow you to do. Always helps to stay positive of the fact," Losfar said, standing up from his chair and letting out a low groan as many of his joints popped noisily.

"My potentially long life aside, do you need anything done tonight before I check in and get some sleep?" Aiden asked, expecting one or two tasks that needed doing. Maintaining a headquarters took some real effort.

"Exavier and Sypher wanted to talk to you about something they need tested, and I believe a few letters were addressed to you. They'll be waiting in your room," Losfar said, turning to walk towards his own quarters. Aiden nodded, walking back out into the hallway of boxes and turning towards the laboratory area.

 _"As long as they don't turn me blue this time, I won't give a crap,"_ Aiden thought to himself, shaking his head as he remembered the last time he'd been a guinea pig for the two geniuses. There were only so many hours he could be entirely blue before he went insane.

It didn't take long for Aiden to find the laboratories. Boxes parting to reveal another spacious area, this one filled with shelves, tables, and stands of parts and inventions, Aiden walked in just in time to hear:

"For Pete's sake, Exavier! We are _not_ letting him try out this device until we're sure it works properly!"

The slight lilt in his speech, much like Caityln's accent, identified the speaker as none other than the Inventor Extraordinare, Sypher.

"How are we supposed to test it then? I can whip up a sensor to stick on something, but the thing has to be alive and then we have to pull it _back_ through the portal…"Exavier's voice trailed off as both he and Sypher ended their argument to realize what they had been talking about.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not doing whatever it is you want me to do," Aiden deadpanned, putting two and two together and figuring out that A) What they wanted was dangerous and B) They wanted him to test it for them.

"Ah, Aiden. Sorry about that; Exavier and I were at odds about this device we created," Sypher explained, pushing his glasses back up onto his face as he turned to Aiden. Aiden's exasperated Crimson gaze met Sypher's piercing green one.

"Oh great. What did you two create now?"

"An inter-dimensional warp gate!" Exavier, his grey-blue eyes sparkling a bit, declared.

Both men stood at about the same height as Aiden, though Exavier was the taller one, but differed in personality and hair color. Exavier, like his wife, had short chocolate brown hair whilst Sypher's hair resembled a dirty blonde or sandy look. Both were very intelligent, but Exavier tended to be much more temperamental and easygoing whilst Sypher was quick and sometimes arrogant. They made for an interesting duo of friends and inventors.

"English, please?"

Sypher's hands quickly grabbed the younger man's shoulders and turned him around, giving him a push out of the laboratories.

"As much as I'd love to test out what we've created, the theory behind it is extreme and the science is untested. Just leave us to figuring this out and if we ever fix it…then we'll explain the theory and the device," Sypher assured, giving him a good-natured pat on the back before whipping around and stalking back to where Exavier stood.

Aiden just rolled his eyes and walked away as the duo began to debate again. At least he wasn't being subjected to some form of cruel or unusual punishment. About halfway to the next intersection, Aiden paused when Lux's sigil began to glow again. His eyes widened and he focused, trying to make sure he read every emotion ca-

 _"Aiden?"_ Lux's voice echoed through his mind. He reeled back a little in shock.

 _"Lux?! You're talking to me using the mark!"_ he thought back, overjoyed at the development. She'd been trying for weeks to get it down and start communicating with him mentally, but despite her best efforts the task seemed a bit out of her reach. Aiden, obviously, had the ability to communicate using the mark but often didn't to avoid making Lux feel bad.

 _"Yeah, it's great isn't it? I finally got it down,"_ she responded. Aiden picked up on feelings of exhaustion and how tired she sounded in his head.

 _"You sound pretty tired Lux. Think it's time to catch some sleep?"_ he suggested, not wanting his girlfriend to exhaust herself after the day's events.

 _"Mhm, but I need help with something. Can you come to the rooms?"_ she asked.

 _"Yeah, be there in a few minutes."_

True to his word, Aiden entered the living area of the warehouse only a few minutes after Lux made contact with him. It resembled a small two-story house on the outside, but the inside boasted a different story. There was a spot of lowered ground where a circular couch sat around a large coffee table. Off to the sides were two separate cooking areas, one with an oven and the other with a table and counter. Several feet to the sides of these (as they were pushed up against the walls) were two staircases that led into the upper section of the living space. Six rooms in total occupied the space comfortably, all with doors and walls separating them. They weren't the most spacious, but they were perfect for one, or two, people.

Lux was seated at the couch when he walked in, already dressed in her blue long-sleeved nightshirt and pants. She glanced up as he entered, smiling when she saw it was him. He grinned back before unceremoniously plopping down onto the couch next to her.

"What's up?" he asked as she leaned into his shoulder, resting her head on it. He felt more than saw her face heat up in embarrassment.

"Well I was uh…wondering if maybe you'd…sleep in my room…" she muttered the final part, Aiden just barely able to hear it. A bit of heat rose to his own face. They'd slept in the same room multiple times before; heck a lot of those times were in the same bed…

"Yeah, I'd love to," he unconsciously said.

Lux shifted so her face was angled towards his before she kissed him lightly.

"Thanks," she muttered, face still beet red. All he could do was nod. 4

They stayed like that for a while, curled up together on the couch as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. Finally, Aiden broke the comfortable silence that had been built.

"I'm gonna go get into my night clothes. Losfar also said there's some letters for me, so I might check those out before I come over," he said, reluctantly letting go of Lux and standing up. The feeling of reluctance was mutual as Lux rubbed her eyes to clear them of sleep. Sitting there with Aiden had been so comfortable that she'd briefly dozed off.

"Ok," she said in between yawns.

Not wanting to take more time than he needed, Aiden bounded up the stairs to the second level and quickly entered the first door on the right. There wasn't much to the second level; just a hallway dotted with the six different doors that led to their group's rooms. Aiden's was one of the closest to the stairs, and since he hardly ever slept in he was usually the first downstairs. Granted, his cooking skills weren't the greatest, but in a household of 4 men and 1 woman his were second only to Lux's.

Aiden's room itself wasn't all that furnished; a queen-sized bed, small desk, and armoire lined the walls. Besides the lamp on the desk, and the singular poster of a Piltoverian band he'd grown to enjoy listening to, there wasn't much in the way of other décor. The armoire held all of his clothing and a few other things as well. Whatever wasn't being stored away was leaning on a wall, like his scythe Memorium, or in one of the actual storage areas of the warehouse. Walking quickly over to his bed, Aiden noticed two or three envelopes sitting haphazardly along its length. He picked the first one, at the foot of the bed, up and opened it quickly. Inside was a check from the Bank of Piltover, a bank that Losfar and Caitlyn had urged he deposit some of his money in to begin growing his wealth. Someone had purchased one of his unwanted relics from the War, it seemed.

Tossing it aside for later deposit-ization, Aiden turned his attention to the next envelope. The front read simply _"Mr. Crownguard/Haftsfell,"_ and didn't have a return address or anything. Personal letter, then. Tearing this envelope open much in the same fashion he had the last, Aiden unfolded the letter and read:

 _"Dear Mr. Crownguard/Haftsfell,_

 _You may or may not recall the conversation we last had, and I find it entirely plausible that you might've forgotten. Allow this to jog your memory; that promise I mentioned? I'm ready to 'cash in' on it, should you desire it be so. Meet me by the docks near your warehouse at some time tomorrow. There will be a bell there; all you need do is ring it. Feel free to have anyone you wish accompany you, but the offer I'm going to make stands only for you._

 _Till then,_

 _Theadrid"_

Aiden's eyes widened as he finished the letter. It had been several months since the Bell Tower incident and in truth he'd almost forgotten about the promise Theadrid had made. Tucking the letter away in his desk, Aiden mentally made a note to remember to go to the docks at some point. Lastly came the letter sitting on his pillow.

 _"Who put these on my bed?"_ he wondered to himself, picking it up and opening it.

There was a light smile on his face when he was done. Why that particular letter had been given to _him_ was odd; the envelope was addressed to Lux and the contents of the letter spoke of another friend of theirs, Syndra, planning a trip from her home state of Ionia to Piltover. He made sure to put the letter back in the envelope and set it aside. Lux would want to read it.

Slipping on a black T-shirt and blue sweatpants, Aiden padded silently over to Lux's room across the hall, knocking once before entering. A few minutes earlier, he'd heard her door close softly and knew that she was already inside. Lux was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him. Without the need for words, they both laid down on her bed and slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Aiden slowly awoke. Lux's rose-scented shampoo filled his nostrils, bringing a smile to his face as he rolled over to wrap his arms around…nothing. Eyes shooting open, Aiden realized a second too late that she must've been in the shower. It certainly explained the smell. Letting out a mighty yawn, he sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Today could potentially be a big day, and if he was up as Lux was showering then he was up early indeed. His girlfriend rarely awoke later than eight'o'clock, and was usually up earlier. Deigning to hold off on showering till later, Aiden stood from the bed and stretched. It was time to make breakfast.

Closing Lux's bedroom door softly behind him, Aiden walked into his own room to grab a few things before heading downstairs to prepare the team's breakfast. Once he had some sort of aroma emanating from the kitchen, everyone else was sure to find their way down. Aiden rummaged around in his armoire for a bit before settling on some blue jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and his normal red jacket with the hood. Placing the pile of clothes aside for later, he made his way down the stairs and began pulling ingredients out of shelves and the refrigerator. Whilst small, the two sides of the kitchen packed everything a cook would need to prepare several large meals.

In no time at all, Aiden had bacon frying in a pan, scrambled eggs sizzling on a skillet, and pancakes cooking in another pan. Whenever one of the three foods would get too ahead of him, Aiden simply Faded a little, a technique that allowed him to move inhumanly fast. A couple of minutes passed with Aiden focusing intently on fixing enough food for all 5 people to eat. Eventually, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs on his side of the house and immediately knew who it was, even before she wrapped her arms around his waist and muttered "Good morning."

Pausing from his work to give Lux a quick kiss, he responded in kind before flipping another pancake and checking on the bacon. Lux moved to the round table in the middle of the housing space, sitting down closest to Aiden and opening a book she'd brought. She was still in her pajamas. It wasn't long before more footsteps were moving down the stairs, this time on the opposite side. The mighty yawn that sounded akin to a bear waking from hibernation told Aiden that the newcomer was Losfar.

"Morning," he boomed as silently as he could, crossing the floor to see how Aiden was doing. At least, that's what he told himself before he (not so) sneakily grabbed a piece of bacon from the platter and went to sit down at the table.

"Good morning!" Lux said cheerfully, not looking up from her novel.

"Morning Losfar," Aiden said, uncaring that the old man had taken some of the bacon.

Sypher was next to arrive, muttering something that might've been a "Good morning," or that might've been an insult. It was hard to tell. The Inventor practically collapsed onto the couch, letting loose several yawns and stretching out as far as he could without being rude. Impeding on others personal space, especially Lux's (he'd learned the hard way), was a no-no. He didn't want people close to him, so he tended to respect their boundaries as well. Finally, Exavier came down the stairs in much the same condition as Sypher. His "Morning everyone," was at least audible, though.

More time passed as everyone attempted to fully awaken themselves until Aiden came to the table himself bearing three platters full of food. Zooming back to the cabinets using Fade, Aiden set the table in record time and then took his place next to Lux. Everyone dug in without the need for talk; Aiden wasn't the best cook, but his food always tasted inexplicably good (to everyone but the chef himself). Perhaps it was natural intuition, or perhaps he'd been secretly reading books on how to be a better chef. Would anyone ever know?

The food, as Aiden had predicted, practically disappeared after everyone grabbed fourths. All that was left was a solitary piece of bacon, which Aiden quickly grabbed and then offered to Lux; a singular pancake, in which a staring contest between Exavier and Losfar began; and a small number of eggs which Sypher grabbed without comment. Afterwards, as the group of friends was recovering from their massive breakfast, Aiden gathered up all the dishes, placed them in a neat pile, and simply recited a complex spell to clean them. Without the aid of a dishwasher, he preferred the magical alternative to cleaning them by hand.

"So, you two," Losfar began, gesturing towards Sypher and Exavier, "what kept you up all night _this_ time?"

"We were trying to fix our latest invention. We have to test it, but we're fairly certain that it now works correctly," Sypher explained before letting out another yawn.

"It had a few kinks, but we worked them out…we think. Either way, we'll need to head into Piltover to purchase some things today," Exavier piped in.

"Very well, just don't go spending all of our money on parts for this thing," Losfar said tiredly, far resigned to the duo's inventive habit. By no means was the team poor, but that didn't mean they got to squander the money they had and both Exavier and Sypher knew that.

"I'm gonna be heading to the docks later if you and Lux want to join me," Aiden said, directing it towards Losfar.

"I'd love to!"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"Awesome," he said, relieved. Purposefully leaving out the part about meeting Theadrid, Aiden hoped that Lux and Losfar wouldn't be too upset about it.

Removing his arm from Lux's shoulders, Aiden stood to prepare for the meeting. He had yet to shower and wasn't privy to the idea of smelling (and looking) like a dumpster when Theadrid appeared. After his departure, the rest of their team dispersed as well. Lux stayed on the couch, reading and waiting for Aiden to return, Losfar returned to his quarters to ensure he didn't look _too_ scruffy, Exavier moved towards the laboratories to begin some morning work, and Sypher went back to his room to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

Twelve minutes later, Aiden stepped out of Lux's bathroom (his room didn't have its own), his hair still slightly damp, to find Lux sitting on her bed. While he'd been cleaning up, she'd changed into one of his black T-shirts, his solitary white jacket, and some jeans. She looked up at him and grinned, blue eyes sparkling.

"Hey there, handsome," she teased, standing up to run her hands through his dark tresses. He just chuckled as she indulged herself in moving her hands through it. Apparently she enjoyed the act greatly.

"C'mon, we'll be late if we don't get going," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along gently.

"Late for what?"

"Something important. Just wait, you'll see."

She spaced out as she imagined all of the different things he could be referring to. Some of those things were wonderful and filled her chest with an indescribable joy; others made heat rise to her cheeks. They were all pleasant; Lux couldn't imagine Aiden doing anything to hurt her on purpose. When they got downstairs, they found Losfar buckling the last buckle on his special boots, already prepared to go.

"Took you long enough," the old man muttered.

"I had to make sure everything got clean," Aiden said faux apologetically. Losfar scoffed at that to hide his chuckle.

Putting on their respective footwear, Aiden and Lux joined Losfar outside of the housing unit before walking towards the warehouse door.

"We're going out!" Losfar boomed, his voice carrying easily throughout the entire warehouse. A faint "Okay!" could be heard not long after. Opting to go out last, Aiden held the door for his mentor and his girlfriend before following them and letting it fall shut.

The Docks district of Piltover was just a clump of large storage warehouses clumped together without much space in between, an area for boats to dock and unload, and one seaside resort. To the trio's left was the way to the docks, and right led back into the Piltover Commons area. They turned left, Aiden assuming the lead with Lux holding his hand and Losfar idly gazing up at the walls of the warehouses they passed. The warehouses themselves weren't very remarkable; just grey iron or steel walls, sometimes rusting and weathered with age, with sheet metal roofs. Losfar found that after the second warehouse he gazed at he became bored of doing so, and instead opted to discreetly watch Aiden and Lux. For an old man, who's time left in the world was most likely numbered down to a few more years, he enjoyed the little things in life and was glad to be in the company of friends (despite how much he complained – it was all good natured).

Watching Aiden grow up from being an uncertain, idealistic 17-year-old into a strong-willed, resourceful, powerful, and intelligent 22-year-old was appalling to Losfar. He'd been witness to some of Aiden's finest moments and some of his lowest, many of his failures and several of his successes. One of the successes was happening right before his eyes; Losfar had secretly been overjoyed when he and Lux had _finally_ told each other how they felt. Everyone who wasn't them had known for a while, but still the two younglings persisted in keeping those emotions in check. That was, up until the end of the Third Great War.

So caught up in his pleasant musings as he was, Losfar didn't realize where they were till Aiden suddenly halted in his tracks. He was looking at a small object lying still on the wooden docks, wondering if what he was seeing was real. Losfar peered around his shoulder to get a better look, and discovered that it was a small bell and hammer that had caught his old student's attention.

"What is it?" he asked, curious as to why they had stopped for this ancient looking bell.

Wordlessly, Aiden picked up the bell and hammer before ringing the bell. Losfar waited for a sound, and waited and…nothing. Neither he nor Lux could hear any sort of noise emanating from the bell, throwing questioning (Losfar) and slightly worried (Lux) looks at Aiden. He, however, could very clearly hear a piercing chime that reverberated every few seconds and seemed to fill up the space around him. It stayed like that for a bit longer before another bell joined the first, this one far deeper and more powerful than the first. Losfar and Lux both heard the second bell, and instinctively began looking around to find the source.

They had no time to look, though, as a golden pillar of light suddenly came blasting out of the sky to impact the ground a few feet away. Almost immediately the three were ready to fight; Aiden's scythe Memorium appeared in his hands, Lux's eyes and arms aglow with light magic, and Losfar's fists raised in an offensive stance. The sigils on both Aiden's hand and Lux's eye began to glow with their respective colors of gold and crimson as Summoner and Champion linked the bond between each other. A few terse seconds passed as the trio stared warily at the pillar of light that, while appearing to impact the earth with high velocity, did not destroy the wood beneath it or create as much wind as one would've expected.

Just as quickly as the pillar of light had appeared, however, it vanished. Standing in its place, aglow with an energy that resembled the rays of the dying sun, was a large man covered from head to toe in intricate plate armor. A massive square hammer with runic inscriptions on its surface occupied his right hand, runes glowing with power. The figure peered out at the party with interest through the visor in his simple metal helmet, silver eyes seeming to melt and shift of their own accord.

"Greetings," a voice as heavy as gold but equally as beautiful rang out from inside the helmet.

"Who are you?" Aiden immediately inquired, scythe still in the ready position. He could almost feel the figure smiling in mirth.

"I am Theadrid."


	4. Chapter Three

**There will be an Author's Note at the end of this story**

"They-what-now?" Losfar inquired, having forgotten Theadrid since the Tower incident.

"Theadrid," Aiden answered, lowering his scythe and standing up a bit straighter in his spot. Something about the way the golden man was looking at him made him very self-conscious. The dangerously flickering light faded from Lux's hands as the puzzle pieces snapped together in her mind.

"I remember you!" she exclaimed, snapping. "You're the keeper of that bell tower."

"Indeed I am," Theadrid replied, bowing deeply to them all. "Theadrid, Keeper of the Divine Bell at your service."

Aiden bowed a little himself whilst Lux curtsied slightly and Losfar just grunted, arms crossed over his chest.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd come when I rang the bell, or if there'd actually be a bell," Aiden admitted, wincing a little and rubbing the back of his head. Memorium had disappeared from his hands, presumably returning to where it had been propped up on Aiden's bedroom wall.

"I do not fault you for such thoughts. Your experiences with the Divine thus far must have been most disconcerting."

"Considering that one almost killed me and the other was a sadistic monster…yeah."

"I hope that my past actions, although not truly my own, will not halt you from considering my offer of repayment for your deed."

"No, I'll definitely consider it," Aiden reassured (himself more than Theadrid).

"What is he talking about Aiden?" Losfar questioned, gaze finally turning to his old student. Perhaps it was just a failing memory, but the old General couldn't remember a time when Aiden had mentioned receiving a favor from a Divine being.

"Back in the Tower of Ancients after I stopped the bell Theadrid appeared. He told me that he'd repay me for stopping his body from ringing the bell and destroying Valoran," Aiden explained. The Divine himself nodded, shimmering armor clinking slightly with the action.

"Young Aiden is right. What he did for me, and your entire world, is more than any mortal has ever done here," Theadrid praised. Aiden felt a bit of heat rise to his face.

"I mean thanks, but it really wasn't overly much. I would've tried to save the world no matter what," he truthfully confessed.

"And that," Theadrid began, taking off his helmet to reveal chocolate brown skin, sharp features, and a piercing silver gaze, "is why I have asked the other Divines to approve my decision. Before I explain this to you, I will warn that the decision may not be an easy one. Should you accept, I will explain more."

Losfar and Lux both felt small worms of worry begin to form. What could the Protector of the Divine Bell be talking about? If it put Aiden in danger, would they be in a position to help him out of it? What if he was sent far away? Questions like that kept swirling around in their heads as they worried for him. Aiden himself was surprised at how careless he felt; it was not in a bad way, but rather he didn't feel worried for what Theadrid was talking about.

"Alright. Go ahead and hit me with what you're thinking," he said, unconsciously assuming a dominant pose and crossing his own arms. Theadrid internally chuckled. Aiden was perfect for the job and the boy wasn't even aware of it yet.

"My offer is this, Mr. Crownguard: I will give you the ability to transport yourself to alternate worlds, alternate realities even, and be the Hero that they need there. Not every other world has an individual such as yourself, and it is my duty as a Guardian of the only relic capable of inter-worldly travel to ensure the survival of them all. Because I am a Divine being, I am unable to interact directly with the mortals and bestow upon them power unless they have done a favor for me first. As such, you are the first person I have given this chance to in many centuries."

Aiden stood there slightly in shock, just letting his mind soak in the information. The power to transport himself to alternate worlds? He'd heard of the Worlds Theory, but never assumed what people were talking about was true. Now, standing only a few feet away and dressed in golden armor fit for his title, was Aiden's one-way ticket to having this power. It might not have seemed like a fair trade; Valoran for the ability to go risk his life more? But in reality, the trade was much more even; Aiden saved Valoran and Theadrid from a grizzly fate, and in return he gained the ability to put his powers to better use than stopping petty theft in Piltover.

That seemed like a pretty big win-win to him. Losfar and Lux, while not making the decision themselves, reluctantly came to the same conclusions. Aiden had based his life around helping others due to the powers in his bloodline. Ever since those in Valoran had learned of his feats, it seemed the entire world had entered a peacetime. They weren't willing to risk drawing the attention of someone who'd saved their collective butts not just once, but twice within the same decade. Losfar knew that Aiden would accept, and if he was honest the old man could feel an immense pride. The first person in _centuries_ to be offered this power? That fact alone was more than enough to instill pride in he who had taught Aiden almost everything he knew.

Lux was concerned for the safety of her fiancé-to-be. She wasn't sure when he'd ask, but something about his activities over the past few months indicated that it would be soon. The honor was immense, yes, but what about the safety of the one she loved? As much as she wanted to argue, to say "No, you have to stay here," Lux knew she was being selfish. Aiden would accept and get whisked away into many new adventures.

On the bright side, she knew he'd be sure to tell her about every single one.

Slowly, as the answer filled his mind and threatened to burst from inside of his being, Aiden's face split into a grin.

"I accept."

This time, Theadrid couldn't help but smile outright. Admittedly, the task of protecting other worlds from catastrophe would not be an easy one. But, if there was anyone in the millions of worlds he'd visited and observed, Aiden was the one for the job.

"I am glad you accepted," Theadrid confessed, chuckling warmly. Suddenly a thought occurred to Aiden and he whipped around to face his two companions.

"And you're both alright with this?" he asked, more out of habit than to ask permission.

"Mhm."

"Of course."

Smiling and mouthing "Thank you," he turned back to face Theadrid.

"So, what about those extra details you mentioned?"

"For that, I am afraid that your companions will need to absent. That information is reserved for you and I only," Theadrid said, looking apologetically towards Losfar and Lux.

"So what, are you saying we need to-?" Lux began before Theadrid cut her off.

"You will not have to leave. I will simply be borrowing Mr. Crownguard for the next few seconds. If you will excuse us," he said, rushing forward faster than they could track and grabbing the front of Aiden's shirt. In the next blink of an eye, both were gone. Looking about in shock, Lux and Losfar both searched to see if they could find where Aiden and Theadrid had disappeared to. That was, they searched until five seconds later when both returned, the former looking thoughtful as he mulled over what had been said.

 _"What the-! Where are we?!" Aiden demanded, turning to glare at Theadrid._

 _"This is the top of the Tower of Ancients. Currently, we are nowhere and anywhere, and due to the nature of the Tower time will progress far slower," Theadrid explained._

 _"So what? A few hours here is just a few minutes there?"_

 _"You have the correct idea, but in reality any time you spend in other worlds or here will register as only very slight passage of time in your world. For example, what you would see and feel as months spent here will only register as minutes in Valoran."_

 _Aiden blinked a few times to ensure he heard right. Months to_ minutes?! _Though, he reasoned, this was a Divine being he was dealing with. Despite not being religious, Aiden understood that they ran the world from behind the scenes._

 _"That was part of what required explaining about what you have agreed to. Feel free to inquire about anything that piques your interest. However, I will begin explaining if you have no questions."_

 _Aiden shook his head to indicate he had none. He was eager to find out the specifics._

 _"Good, then I will start at the beginning. The first point I must make is a warning; for twelve hours after you arrive in another world, I will be unable to transport you back to yours or another world. If you or I attempted to do so, the strain would tear your body apart. Next comes the bells. Since you have accepted, I will craft a special bell for you that will allow you to transport to other worlds at your own will. Ask me for as many counterpart bells as you require; you can give these to individuals you meet so that, in the event they ring the bell, you will be able to answer its resonance and be transported to assist them._

 _"Third: It is alright if the denizens of the world you travel to discover that you are not from there. I cannot guarantee that many will believe such claims, but in the even they due you must remind them not to share the information freely. That is the only restriction set upon me by the other Divines. Forth: Your powers are great, Aiden, and everyone around you understands that fact as well as you do. I did not pick you for this favor simply because of them, however; I picked you because you are kind of heart and willing to help those in need. But, due to how strong you are, in every world you will be given a limitation to what you can and cannot do with your powers. Those limitations are out of my control, so neither of us will be aware of your capabilities upon arriving._

 _"All of this is assuming you accept these things. You can still reject the offer, and while I will have to remove your memories of this place and the information I have given you, you will remain the same. So, has your decision changed?"_

Aiden pondered. He pondered and thought and mulled and questioned. The just of what Theadrid had told him seemed alright; his powers would be reduced, so he'd have to make due with what he was given, but he'd also be able to travel to and from the worlds at will. Every twelve hours, at least. If he was honest with himself, Aiden knew he was still relatively young. But, young as that may have been, it was still roughly the same age as Lux. His only remaining concern about the offer was if he'd one day return home as a creepy old man to a wife many, many years younger than he.

"What about my age?" he asked after a few seconds, breaking the silence as Lux and Losfar stared at them both in bewilderment.

"You will age with the time here, so you will remain the same age as your friend," Theardid assured. Lux was briefly touched that Aiden's decision had been impacted by what might've happened to their similar ages.

"Then I…" he trailed off, making sure his thoughts were all in order and that he wasn't making a mistake. Aiden had analyzed everything, thought of all the bad outcomes. There! Just one more question he needed answered.

"What about if I die?" he asked, knowing that the answer could very well decide his answer for him.

"Asking all of the important questions; I am pleased. Should you die in a world that is not the one you originated from, you will be revived here or in the Tower. The pain of death will still be there, but whilst in the Tower you will heal from it," Theadrid said, becoming silent as he finished.

Molten silver orbs peered into crimson ones and saw naught but determination and excitement in them. Such was the nature of their owner.

"I accept."

Theadrid allowed another grin to grace his features.

"Wonderful. I am sorry to report that we must be departing soon, but you will have a few hours to say goodbyes for now. Meet me back here when you are ready," Theadrid said right before another pillar of golden energy rained from the sky and encompassed his massive form. When the light cleared, Theadrid was gone.

Turning to Lux and Losfar, Aiden flashed them a smile.

"Come on. I have some goodbyes to say."

 **A/N:** Hey everyone, just dropping in to say what I usually do: Thanks for reading, I hope you liked the story, and as always feel free to review. They're super helpful and inspiring. I'll respond to every one that I can.


	5. Arc 1 - Chapter Four

**Arc 1: The World of Remnant**

Chapter Four

Roughly two hours later, Aiden walked calmly down the piers of Piltover's infamous Dock District, Legacy strapped to his back and Memorium safely within the confines of his power. Goodbyes had been strange; to Aiden it would seem like months or perhaps years of being away, while time here in Valoran would pass slowly and only appear to be minutes or hours. Theadrid had explained to him briefly not to share any extra information he told Aiden, and so Aiden deigned that his friends would discover it on their own. As a parting gift, an excited Sypher had presented Aiden with a special earpiece. He told Aiden to press in on it slightly and try speaking once he'd reached the new world.

"Exavier and I are testing something. If it works, then that means we'll have made a breakthrough for science," was all the smaller man had said.

The goodbyes hadn't taken that long for everyone but Lux. They…

Just thinking about it made Aiden smile and fluster a little. It had been the main reason he was only returning to the docks two hours later rather than one. Of course, he'd needed to gather some essential things; a few specially crafted throwing knives, his trademark red trench coat and black jeans, Legacy, and the other things that made up his normal attire. Pressing the earpiece in experimentally, Aiden found that he could hear what sounded like distant talking and buzzing. The inventive duo must've been working on something.

Returning his focus to where he was walking, Aiden stopped suddenly when he noticed he'd reached the end of the pier. Looking around, he could catch no glimpse of the golden Divine.

"Aiden, good. I was curious as to when you would return," came the deep and rich voice from somewhere behind Aiden.

"Took me a little longer than I expected, but I can't say my parting gifts weren't nice," he replied, turning to find Theadrid standing there dressed in the same golden armor from before, minus the helmet.

"That is alright. Come, grasp my hammer. Your new adventures await," the brown man said, runic inscriptions beginning to glow all over his figure. Aiden obliged, taking a deep breath before stepping forward the few feet between the two and grasping Theadrid's massive hammer. Instantly, he felt the weightlessness that came with teleporting and warping settle over his body. A piercing chill briefly seeped into his bones and stood his hair on end before, only miliseconds later, they reappeared in the Tower again.

There wasn't much to the top of the Tower of Ancients; Aiden hadn't remembered details from before due to the fact that he had been fighting for his life. Now, he had time to drink in what he saw. Constructed entirely of a yellow sandstone substance, the Tower's top had four pillars in each of the four corners that held up an equally stone roof. Hanging from a small tether in the center of the room was a massive bell that had inscriptions of many different symbols and languages written all over its surface. At the back of the area was a full wall that hosted more symbols Aiden was unable to translate.

Quickly letting go of the hammer, Aiden stepped back and peered around them briefly.

"So, where are we going?" he asked after a second, rocking back and forth on the heels of his boots.

"The world we are traveling to is called Remnant. An odd one, filled with creatures known as Grimm. You will know what they are when you encounter them," Theadrid said, peering outside of the Tower's open top. Aiden followed his gaze and found, to his delight (and terror) that millions of stars filled up the space outside. It looked just like a night sky, only closer and more beautiful.

"Wow," he breathed, seeing a few blur past the Tower.

"I cannot tell you more of Remnant, other than you will encounter people called Huntsmen and Huntresses there. They are the force that combats the Grimm, and it could potentially be beneficial for you to pose as one."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Aiden replied, tucking the info in the back of his mind for the moment. "How long will this take?"

"Oh, we should be there…right about now," Theadrid finished as the scene before Aiden's eyes was filled with blinding light. He shut them quickly, waiting until the flash subsided before tentatively opening one. Another breath of wonder escaped his lips when he saw what was presented to him.

Sprawling out from underneath the Tower was a massive expanse of what appeared to be a forest. Only, instead of the normal green color that forests had, this one was full of solid red. A sea of red, it appeared, with how much the leaves swayed in the wind. Aiden's feet carried him to the edge of the Tower where some of the breeze reached, bringing the smells of Fall and the ocean to his nostrils. A slight breeze was blowing the slightly chill air into his face refreshingly. The view was astounding, and he couldn't wait to see more of the world if this was just one part of it.

"The Tower will remain in this position and be visible only to you and those in physical contact with you," Theadrid said from behind Aiden, walking up to join him.

"What about this threat? You said that I would be the 'Hero these worlds needed,'" Aiden asked, turning to face the taller man.

"You will have to learn about it yourself. The information I am allowed to give you is quite limited. I apologize."

"That's alright."

Aiden suddenly laughed out loud, shaking his head. Theadrid eyed him with interest.

"What is so funny?"

"Here we are, talking like we've known each other for years. I just find it funny that I'm able to get along this well with someone I pretty much just met," Aiden said, kneeling down and peering back at the forest again. They stayed silent for a few minutes before Aiden stood again.

"I should probably start looking for how to help this world. How do I get down?" Aiden asked.

"If you wish to depart, I will transport you to the bottom of the Tower," Theadrid replied.

"I'm ready to depart."

"Ah yes, before I forget. Check your right arm."

Aiden quirked an eyebrow but did as he was told, rolling up the sleeve of his black shirt and doing a double-take with what he saw. Drawn into his skin was an intricate crimson tattoo that resembled runic inscriptions and some sort of double-spiral that traveled all the way down his arm to his palm. Lux's mark was left untouched by the tattoo.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud.

"That is the Mark that restricts your powers. You will discover your limits on your own, I suspect," Theadrid explained.

"Cool."

"Now you may go," was the last thing Aiden heard before another feeling of weightlessness settled over him.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, it disappeared and the world slowly came back into focus. He was lying on the soft ground, staring up into a canopy of rolling crimson and black. Aiden slowly raised himself off of the ground, eyes scanning his surroundings as he did. The forest was absolutely beautiful from every angle, he decided as he rose to his full height. Once again inspecting the mark in the palm of his hand, Aiden decided that the best thing to do first would be to test what powers he had remaining.

First and foremost to test was his regeneration factor. Drawing one of the throwing knives from inside his coat, Aiden carefully slashed his left index finger. Thankfully, the wound patched itself quickly and the blood stopped flowing. Where there had been a cut was now just normal skin and tissue.

"Good beans," he muttered, using a saying that he'd heard a few people use before.

Next came whether or not he could still Fade. Concentrating, Aiden inhaled and exhaled deeply before letting the power flow through his body and mind. His eyes snapped open before he rushed forward, trees blurring past. He came to a stop at least twenty feet from his previous position, satisfied with the results.

"So far, so good," he mumbled again, already preparing for a few more tests.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Aiden was panting slightly, hands on his knees, as he surveyed his handiwork. Several nearby trees were scorched noticeably, despite a few having black bark, and one in the distance was even knocked down. Based on what he'd tried to do, Aiden knew that the basic manipulation of his power was there; he could create and shoot crimson energy and fire as accurately as he could before. It wasn't possible for him to perform any Summoner Spells, but that was to be expected alongside his inability to teleport using his own power. However, one thing he had not expected to have lost was his ability to create objects with his power. Chains and big things were his trademark creations with it.

Luckily, he could still retrieve Memorium and Legacy from the plain where he stored them when they weren't in use. Additionally, he could improve their blades with his power but he hadn't been able to summon their counterparts. If he was honest, however, Aiden was a bit glad he couldn't. Each of the counterparts for his weapons was a twisted version of the original; he'd discovered how to warp his weapons into their counterparts when he'd been fighting Gorgreth. Memorium's counterpart was Requiem, a larger and more evil looking black metal scythe whilst Legacy's counterpart was Baneful Watcher (the names had instinctually come to him). Unlike Legacy, Watcher was more of a great sword and projected Aiden's power as a black energy. They were stronger than their tamer beginnings, but Aiden disliked using them. Filled with a darkness he couldn't overlook, Aiden often lost himself to fighting and killing if he ever used them.

One small detail he'd noted whilst shooting Crimson energy at trees was the fact that, whenever he used his powers, the Mark on his arm would glow red. It looked cool in his opinion. Sheathing Legacy on his back and cracking his knuckles loudly, Aiden turned in a slow circle in an attempt to find some sign of civilization. If there was one, he reminded himself. His knowledge of Remnant was almost non-existent, but hopefully after finding a few people he'd be able to learn more.

Picking a direction he hoped was North, Aiden began to walk forward as the breeze picked up again. Clearly the time of year was late Fall or early Winter; Summer and Spring weren't this cold. Red leaves swirled hypnotically in the wind, creating a beautiful crimson dance of twirling that made it difficult to focus on the path ahead.

It was the first thing that alerted him to the creature.

Eyes naturally following a rather large group of leaves as they flew across his vision, Aiden saw a mass of black that clearly was _not_ a tree standing several feet away from him. Startled a bit by the sudden appearance, Aiden drew his sword and held the tip towards the ground as he tried to make out details. Whatever it was, it definitely was some sort of animal. Large white claws lined its feet and boney spikes of varying thicknesses and lengths protruded from its back. In a way, it almost resembled a wolf, and most likely would have if not for the plate of bone covering its face. Patterned with red and black designs, the bone plate clearly enunciated the creature's deep red eyes that spoke of an untamed bloodlust and hatred.

All of which was currently pointed directly at Aiden.

 _"Could this be one of those Grimm things Theadrid mentioned?_ " he wondered to himself, settling into a fighting stance.

That was when the growling began. It started as a low rumble from around Aiden, and he whipped his head side to side to find the source. Slowly, it began to build into a massive sound akin to a roar. Eyes turned to the right, Aiden nearly missed the first Grimm leaping at him, claws and teeth ready to tear into his vulnerable skin. It was extraordinarily fast, faster than many opponents Aiden had faced, but the 22-year-old was not one to be taken easily by surprise. Acting more quickly than the Beowulf, Aiden pivoted on his left heel and dropped into a crouch, thrusting Legacy forward as he did. The Grimm impaled itself on his sword, black blood spraying out of its back as Aiden used his better-than-great strength to carry an attack from inside the creature. He doubted that is two halves would be doing much fighting.

To his surprise, the body and blood began to disintegrate before his eyes. Distracted as he was by that, Aiden actually _did_ miss the next Grimm charging him until it had already slashed him across the back twice. Crying out in pain, he whipped around and lopped the ugly creature's head off with one mighty slash. The gashes on his back began to repair themselves as the material his coat was made of patched itself as well, albeit slowly. It had been a gift from Losfar. His eyes widened as he righted himself.

Where, one second, there had been only two of these Grimm attacking him, now there were tens surrounding him on all sides. All of them appeared to be the same kind, which increased Aiden's odds only slightly. Legacy was enveloped in a crimson light and elongated into a staff with a curved and wicked blade at one end. Memorium held ready in his hands, Aiden began to prepare himself for the fight that was inevitably coming. There was no escaping it now.

Letting loose a roar, one of the Beowolves charged at Aiden head on, claws and mouth extended and ready to attack. Aiden deftly sidestepped, bringing Memorium in an upward arc that cleaved the beast in half. Without time to really recover, Aiden noticed that another was charging. Using the momentum from his previous attack, Aiden swung the scythe in a wide arc and caught the Grimm on its underbelly. The wound was definitely fatal. For the next few minutes, it continued like that; Aiden would kill one Beowulf but another would immediately attack him and put him on the defensive. Wherever one died another took its place, leading Aiden to wonder just how many of them there were.

Spinning rapidly through a trio of the creatures that had charged at him, Aiden leapt high into the air before hooking Memorium's blade into the throat of one and throwing it at another. Both collapsed with only one attempting to stand. As he fell back to the ground, Aiden let loose a few blasts of crimson energy and slashes to clear a circle for himself. The pack of Grimm backed up a bit whilst Aiden prepared himself for another defensive.

"Duck!" he heard from off to his right. Acting on the instinct of a trained bladesman, Aiden dropped to the ground and rolled forward into a crouch.

A red and black blur shot overhead and slammed into a group of the Grimm, gunshots and sparks ringing out as the figure began to gun and cut down the horde. Two more shapes, one white and one yellow, followed close behind and quickly formed a perimeter around the first figure. Aiden barely had time to register what was going on before he found another person standing directly in front of him. Rising quickly, he was about to speak when the figure, who he recognized as a girl younger than himself, spoke.

"Can you fight?" she asked, tone serious and quiet.

Her black hair swayed a bit in the breezed as her minimal black and white outfit rustled a bit. To answer her, Aiden shot past her using Fade and deftly killed the three Grimm that had been charging her.

"Take my flank!" she shouted to him, launching herself past him to cut down other Beowolves that had appeared. Aiden rolled his eyes, jumping into the air and preparing his energy. There were only two people alive who had the authority to give Aiden orders, and neither lived in Remnant.

A few Beowolves attempted to follow Aiden, but his scythe cut them into ribbons before they had a chance to attack. Reaching the peak of his height, Aiden brought back Memorium and pumped his energy into the blade. Crimson energy enveloped it, creating a phantom of the blade that shown the same color as his power and almost quadrupled the length and size of the original. Time slowed again as Aiden used Fade to pick his prime target. Energy reserves running out quickly from his mass usage of his powers, Aiden quickly spotted a large group of the Grimm about to overtake the black-haired girl from behind. Time flowed as normal when Aiden shot towards the ground before landing on his feet. An explosion followed his sudden landing as his feet dug into the ground, cracking the earth and sending chunks flying away.

Memorium's blade came back as Aiden prepared his strike. The world darkened a little for the four Huntresses who had arrived to clear out the Grimm, and everything paused momentarily. A literal horde of Grimm appeared before Aiden, Beowolves in numbers far greater than had been seen in a while occupying the space in front of him. It was nothing that Team RWBY couldn't deal with, but for one man to stand in front of it with nothing but his scythe and expect to live? Three of the four members doubted he'd live, and were already on the way to protect him.

As it turned out, Aiden would not need their help.

Bringing Memorium forward in a wide cleaving path, crimson energy extended from the blade far enough forward that even the farthest Beowulf from Aiden was struck. Every single one was slashed three times in the blink of an eye, which was all it took for Aiden's one strike to finish. Panting heavily and leaning on Memorium a bit, Aiden looked up to find the fading remains of almost every Grimm in the area. He smiled a little to himself. That technique was an interesting one, but he hadn't been sure if it would work. Luckily it had.

Collapsing to his knees, scythe clattering to the ground, Aiden stayed there in a bent over position until the gunshots and cutting of beast hide was finished. Four pairs of feet appeared around the edges of his vision, though he wasn't quite willing yet to raise his head. He could feel the four pairs of eyes digging into his back, the four weapons that were all held at the ready in case he tried anything. And honestly, Aiden didn't blame whoever they were. He'd just cut down a horde of creepy black wolf monsters in one hit. If the scythe didn't make him look enough like a reaper, then the way he'd dealt with that problem sealed the deal. Finally, after agonizing seconds of nothing but breathing and silence, someone finally spoke.

"You gonna stay there all day or what?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey all! Sorry that it's been awhile since I last uploaded; I've got a serious case of procrastination and I keep forgetting to post stuff. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always feel free to leave a review telling me how I did. Also if anyone is OOC then I apologize; I'm not too great at that. Till next time; stay frosty.


	6. Chapter Four - Part Two

**Chapter Four - The World of Remnant Part II**

* * *

Aiden's head rose slowly as his eyes shifted upwards. He found himself staring into the pure silver orbs of a girl that couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen. Dressed in all black with red highlights, she surprisingly made for an intimidating character with the scythe held over her right shoulder. It looked like someone from Piltover had created the scythe during a field day, just saying "Screw it!" and making the most mecha-scythe in existence. They'd succeeded, to say the least. A mix of curiosity and apprehension was written on her features, and as he looked around at his four saviors Aiden saw similar expressions of curiosity. Otherwise, the black-garbed one looked mostly neutral; The blonde looked smug; and the white-haired one appeared…angry?

"Well I can't say this is the most unpleasant situation I've ever found myself in," he spoke up, attempting to rise to his feet. The point of a rapier (the white-haired girl's) kept him in his kneeling position as he let out a grunt of annoyance.

"Who are you?" she asked, tone very high and mighty. _"Just like Gorgreth."_ Aiden thought uncomfortably.

"I could be asking you the exact same question. Who are you? Why are you out here in this forest? Why am _I_ out here in this forest? Will the world ever know?" he replied sarcastically, unable to help it. He could rarely be counted on to take anything seriously, even fights.

"You aren't really in a position to be asking questions," the blonde piped in, staring down at Aiden with her arms crossed.

"That is a fact I won't deny," he said, whipping around quickly and knocking the blade of the rapier away before standing up. Clicks permeated the air as three different weapons were all pointed…at him.

"Whoa, trigger happy much, girls? While it has been absolutely lovely chatting with you four, I'm afraid that I've got a thing I still need to do so if you'll just excuse me…" Memorium had warped into Legacy at this point, and Aiden quickly sheathed the sword on his back and began to move away from the girls. He was grateful that they'd assisted him, and the sight of four young girls with massive and deadly looking weapons was quite the conundrum indeed, but Aiden figured he had bigger things to be worrying about. Surprisingly, the blonde stepped out of the way as he walked past, hands finding his coat pockets.

"Wait, your back!" the red-haired girl called out. Aiden paused, looking over his shoulder at the four.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Y-you're bleeding." The white one added in, seemingly shocked by the development.

A vision of the fight played through Aiden's mind as he attempted to remember when he'd been hit. The wounds from the beginning of the fight would already have healed, but there might've been…

There!

He'd felt a sharp pain in his back that had faded into nothing with the adrenaline flowing through his system. It looked like he'd been careless enough to get slashed a few times. The wounds, as he could now feel, stung and were clearly bleeding quite a bit.

Much to the surprise of Team RWBY, Aiden just shrugged.

"Should be fine in a couple seconds."

And adding immensely more to the surprise, just as he'd said the wound began to close. The blood stopped flowing and, from what they could see from the rips (that were also being mended!) in his jacket, the skin was unblemished where he'd been slashed. Aura wasn't supposed to work that quickly. Aura also couldn't fix clothes.

"Yang, knock him out," Blake ordered, her partner all too willing to obey.

"What-?" Aiden managed to get out before a fist contacted solidly with his jaw, sending him flying backwards and skidding across the ground. Pushing aside the anger for later usage, Aiden felt the bones in his jaw crack as they snapped back into position. That girl could hit hard.

Unluckily for her, it seemed, he could take the punishment. Standing up and brushing himself off, Aiden's crimson gaze met the lilac eyes of the blonde who'd punched him. There was an unspoken challenge between the two now; he who was knocked out first lost. Yang knew she couldn't lose the fight due to the fact that this stranger clearly needed to be examined by Ozpin or a specialist (normal Huntsmen couldn't do what he had). Aiden was just down to have a fist fight for once. Something told him that he wouldn't be disappointed.

"Nice punch blondie. I'm curious as to why you did it, though. Do you four have business with me or something?" he asked, wondering if somehow people here had known of his arrival.

Team RWBY stayed silent as this stranger stared them down, a bored expression on his face. Something just felt…off about him. Something told them all that if they didn't bring him in, he'd rile up more trouble than anyone could stop.

He was a bit taken off guard when all four girls charged at him blindingly, weapons held in various stances of attack. Drained from his fight with the creepy disintegrating wolves, Aiden felt Memorium appear in his hands as he tried to brainstorm a strategy for beating the team. With how he was feeling currently, flashy and complicated maneuvers were probably out of the question. If he kept it too simple, he'd run the risk that they'd outmaneuver him. Had it been just the blonde, Aiden was sure he could succeed and make his escape, but with all four of the girls? The chances of that were slim.

Rushing forward to meet their charge, Aiden let loose a wide arc with his scythe that forced the girls to move back or parry, lest they be hit. They'd all seen how easily that blade had shaved through the tough hide of a Grimm, and held no doubts that it would probably slice them into ribbons as well. Once he got through their aura, that was. Weiss was the first to recover, creating a glyph under her feet and shooting herself at Aiden with blinding speed. Aiden was a bit too slow to react and felt her rapier slash into his left arm, a blow meant to disable rather than seriously injure. He attempted to counter with a powerful right hook, but another glyph sent Weiss flying safely out of his reach. Or, so she thought before, with speed akin to Ruby's, he had dashed forward and had his scythe ready to cleave her body in half.

A loud gunshot rang out as Aiden's right side exploded in blood, throwing his scythe arm off and staggering him away from Weiss as she regained her footing. Hazarding a glance to his side, Aiden saw a massive hole where his flank had been, earning a grunt of pain as his nerves decided to notify him that they were on fire. Clutching the gaping wound with his left arm, Aiden shifted Memorium back into Legacy before assuming a little stance. He'd identified the gunman as the girl dressed in red with the scythe. Apparently the damn thing could shoot some sort of high-impact round too.

Things weren't looking good for Aiden; he was outmatched and he had a new wound that, while it was being patched up by his natural regeneration, would hamper him for the next several seconds. The blonde and the girl dressed in black and white seemed all too eager to jump at the opportunity, dashing forward to close the distance he'd created with fists and blades flying. Aiden took the blonde's fist as a glancing blow on his sword, turning and ducking under the other girl's cleaver. Letting go of Legacy for the moment, Aiden focused entirely on the blonde as his right hand left his side and he rushed forward. She, as he discovered quickly, was a _very_ skilled hand-to-hand combatant. They traded blows that were deflected or dodged left and right, seemingly getting nowhere until Aiden switched fighting styles. It had been several years since he'd practiced all of the forms Losfar had taught him, but even whilst rusty he could still do some damage.

Yang, un-familiar with the style he'd started to fight with, took several jabs to the abdomen before a spinning back-kick left her in the dirt, air driven from her lungs and fire burning brightly in her soul. Blake and Weiss converged on his turning form in the hopes that they could finish the fight before it got more serious. A blast of crimson colored energy erupting from his body alongside a ferocious yell surprised them and pushed them away, leaving only Ruby on her feet to fight him. Memorium appeared in Aiden's right hand, held to the side as the blade glowed ethereally with crimson energy. He could take the red one while her companions were busy getting to their feet. Both dashed forward, one in a blur of red and the other in a whirlwind of rose petals, scythes emitting sparks as the blades clashed again and again.

However, Aiden had trained for more years in scythe combat than Ruby, and showed it when he quickly parried one of her attacks to follow up with a lightning quick slash that knocked her down. The assault stopped there as Aiden stepped back a little, taken aback by the lack of blood and guts splattering across the ground. Usually that was the effect slashing people across the stomach with his scythe had, and while he didn't condone the killing of children, they had started it. Instead, the red-haired girl simply seemed a bit phased and tired from the attack. It was in this state of confusion that Aiden failed to notice the red-eyed blonde stand up behind him and cock back her right fist for one hell of a haymaker. Thus, he was also quite startled when pain exploded behind his eyes and he lost consciousness.

Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Weiss crowded around the downed body of the strange man, eyeing him with suspicion and confusion. He'd clearly been able to heal the wounds they'd dealt to him, but with an aura that strong surely some of the damage would've been deflected away. Blake's decision to have Yang knock him out was on the spur of the moment, and looking back she regretted it slightly. The team had no clue what they'd been getting themselves into, as the man had handled all four girls with what appeared to be relative ease, even going so far as to continue attacking whilst injured.

"So…that was a thing," Yang spoke up, running a gloved hand through her blonde mane.

"What are we going to do with him?" Weiss spoke up, pointing at his unconscious form. He was dressed like a veteran huntsman in some ways, but that didn't explain his nonchalance and inability to recognize fellow Huntresses.

"We should take him to the authorities if nothing else. Maybe even Ozpin," Blake said. Ozpin would probably know what to do with him.

"What was with his aura?" Ruby asked, looking at the rest of her team for an answer. The three older members of Team RWBY shared a look as they all silently agreed: They had no clue.

"Maybe that _was_ his aura?" Weiss posed it as a question, not 100% sure herself. With the stranger, there were a lot of questions that they didn't have the answers to.

"Alright, alright. Let's get to the Bullhead and just take him back to Beacon. I'll carry 'im," Yang grunted, picking the man up and hoisting him over her right shoulder. Since no one had any better ideas, and they'd done what had been asked of them, everyone agreed. Trudging back through the fallen leaves and marks on the ground, Team RWBY began to head back towards Beacon. And, they all hoped, towards answers.

It was way too quiet. That was the first thing Aiden realized as his eyes groggily opened and the sleep fell away from his mind. Memories of fighting black monsters and little girls filled his mind as he distinctly remembered being slammed in the head. He'd have to get whoever'd done it back some day, he vowed. Light blinded him and made him wince as his eyes opened fully, making him wait till they'd adjusted to open them fully. He was sitting, hands tied securely (he could tell because they hurt) behind his back, in a chair. Letting loose a sign, he sat up a little straighter as the light source, some form of overhead light, was identified and he noticed the table sitting right in front of him. No doubt this was some form of interrogation room.

Aiden's suspicions were fully confirmed when a previously unseen door opened and in walked a man. His silver hair hinted at age, and the green suit (100% green, Aiden noticed) was a good indication that he had a position of power. He didn't look like a cop, but maybe that's what the strategy was; put someone in who didn't _look_ like an authority but have it secretly be one. It was possible. The man took a seat across from Aiden, setting a black cane with some sort of trigger and a mug of coffee down on the table. The scent of the coffee filled Aiden's nostrils as he looked the man in the eye.

Hazel met Crimson as the newcomer took a long drink from the mug, letting out a satisfied sigh as he placed it back on the table.

"Almost done taunting me there, Romeo?" Aiden asked, sarcasm a never-ending occurrence in his speech.

"My goal was not to taunt you, Mr…?" the man asked, voice intelligent and reserved.

"Crownguard. Aiden Crownguard."

"Well, Mr. Crownguard, I can certainly have a beverage of your choice brought if you so wish," the man offered.

"Sure. How about the refined blood of fifteen virgins? Oh, but they have to be girls," Aiden said dryly. There was silence in the room after his remark, with the man observing his facial expression.

"I am Professor Ozpin, by the way."

"Well, Professor Ozpin, it'd be my personal pleasure to meet you if the circumstances were different."

"I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Not at all. I doubt I have much choice anyways, so hit me with whatever you've got."

Ozpin pulled out a small hand notebook out of his coat pocket and referenced it briefly. Aiden could tell immediately that he had no need for it, but was simply giving the impression that he did.

"Why did you attack Team RWBY in the Forever Fall Forest?" Ozpin asked, sounding rather neutral with the whole affair.

"The whole thing started from some sort of misunderstanding. I will admit that I did provoke them somehow, and that the way I retaliated was rather violent, but attacking them was never my intention." _And why would it have been? They saved my butt from getting mauled,_ he didn't add.

"Team RWBY tells me that you did not appear to have an aura." Aiden felt his mind go numb. He had no clue what Ozpin was talking about, and hoped that it wasn't showing on his face.

"Of course I have an aura. What…uh…Huntsman (nailed it!) doesn't?" Aiden lied, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could.

"Then I hope you will not mind when I test that."

Aiden's eyes widened and he managed to get out a "Wha-?" before a throwing knife imbedded itself deep into his left arm. He let out a slight yell of pain and winced. Ozpin calmly got up and retrieved the knife which, Aiden noticed, was one of his own.

"…so what happens now?" Aiden asked, voice low as Ozpin seated himself again and offered a slightly apologetic look to Aiden.

"I apologize for that, but I had to make sure that my information was correct," Ozpin explained.

"Look Ozpin, I appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm a big boy. I can take a knife to the shoulder just as well as I can take what's gonna happen to me. Need an explanation? Fine, whatever. Just ask as many questions as you want."

"Very well. I suppose my first question is this: Who are you _really_?"

"Ha. Ha. So funny. My name is Aiden Crownguard."

"Hmm. And what about why you don't have an aura, but say that you're a Huntsman and can use a Semblance?"

"Two things: I was posing for my own safety, and I have no clue what a 'Semblance' is."

"Care to explain why?"

"If I tell you, you probably won't believe me."

"You might be surprised."

"Ok, then surprise me. Truth is; I'm not from…around here, if you catch my drift. I'm 100% new to Remnant, if that helps," Aiden confessed. Ozpin regarded him silently for a few seconds as Aiden simply met his gaze. Without a word, the older man got up and turned to leave, pushing the chair back into the table firmly, but without aggression. Aiden knew that nothing he'd said had phased the man.

Both of their thought processes halted when a small tremor shook the room. Ozpin paused, hand held above the doorknob as he steadied himself to listen and feel. Aiden's head perked up as he looked around. Another tremor, larger this time, and crimson met hazel as a mutual understanding was passed between the two. Aiden understood why he'd been questioned and Ozpin could tell that Aiden wasn't lying. How exactly that was possible still needed explaining, and there was the matter of the little brawl between him and Team RWBY. Otherwise, Ozpin felt he could trust Aiden at least somewhat.

"Can I trust you?" he asked anyways, deeming it necessary to hear a verbal response. Aiden nodded, standing up and quickly moving his cuffs to the front of his body. Both men could feel that something was amiss, and it always paid to have available help. Aiden figured he'd hit the jackpot with the person he'd found, as it seemed like Ozpin was a Huntsman himself of some degree and clearly ran things around the place.

A key was produced from somewhere on Ozpin's being as he unshackled Aiden, nodding at him before moving to the door and throwing it open. He was outside before Aiden could really do more than rub his wrists to help with the soreness and to get more blood flowing through his hands. Those cuffs had been tight! Soon afterwards, Aiden pushed forward and out the door as well. His eyes were adjusted, so he did a minimal amount of squinting at the area he found himself in. Clearly the area was very high up, as the walkway he'd entered onto spanned quite the space and left little to the imagination as to the elevation. The wind was blowing and the clouds were much closer overhead, but Aiden didn't notice any of that. Instead, he noticed Ozpin standing a little further on the walkway with his cane held in a sword-like position, stanced to fight something his body was hiding from view. If the laughter emanating from around his form was anything to go by, the assailant was probably female. Aiden walked forward steadily, flexing his fingers and taking a few calming breathes to get the energy flowing through his body again.

"C'mon Ozzy, just let me past and I promise I won't kill anyone, kay?" came the high-pitched voice. Aiden got to where Ozpin was standing and quickly scanned the scene with his eyes, tapping Ozpin on the shoulder to let him know that backup had arrived.

Standing before them both, now, was a rather tall woman wearing scandalously little clothing that left little to the imagination. Her long red hair was tied back in a pony-tail and the massive curved blade she hefted over one shoulder with apparent ease told of great strength. Aiden quirked an eyebrow at the attire, but found everything about the woman unappealing to his eyes. Lux had trained him well, it seemed.

"Ooo, who's the newcomer? Is he the guy I'm looking for?" she asked in a sing-song voice.

"I'm afraid I must ask you to leave the premises. We don't want anyone getting hurt," Ozpin commanded, voice suddenly much more threatening and intimidating than it had been several minutes ago.

"Tch, we know I can't do that silly," she replied with a roll of the eyes and a giggle. Aiden stepped forward and gestured for Ozpin to stand back a little. The girl was looking for him? She'd get him.

"Ok creep, whaddya want?" he asked bluntly.

"*gasp* So you _are_ who I'm looking for!"

"Listen lady, I have no clue who _you_ are but I'd appreciate it a lot if you could just not right now."

"So rude! Didn't your mother ever teach you respect?" she snarled, catching Aiden off guard a bit with the change of tone and her rush forward. The blade screeched and drew sparks as she sprinted towards what she assumed to be an unarmed target.

Oh how wrong she was.

Ozpin had jumped in front of Aiden to take the fight into his own hands, but a certain Crownguard was not one for letting others do fighting for him. Meeting the woman's charge with one of his own, Aiden easily sidestepped the upwards slash she threw at him and rolled under the sideways one she did right afterwards. As fast as her swings were, Aiden could be much, _much_ faster. After every swing he connected punches to her body in the areas where it hurt the most; stomach, knee, sternum, and a few other joints. But she didn't look like she was in any pain, and Aiden was finally forced to retreat a distance as his seventh hit did absolutely nothing to his attacker.

 _"This must be that aura crap that Ozpin and Theadrid mentioned,"_ Aiden grunted in his mind. If Aura really acted like a shield, then he'd have to punch through it before he'd be able to do any real damage. Caught up in his musings as he was, Aiden narrowly managed to deflect the woman's blade as it shot forward to slash his chest. The arm he blocked with was cut, but the action also threw the woman slightly off balance and allowed Aiden to reverse the attack and kick her away.

Suddenly Ozpin was there, cane blurring as he struck at the woman with a superb speed. Emerald energy danced around his form as he drove the woman back, her blade flashing as she struggled to block many of the thrusts. Focusing his own energy, Aiden channeled power into the mark on his arm. It lit up a brilliant crimson that seemed to burn and smolder as his hand clenched into a fist. Equally crimson eyes located their target as Aiden let out a roar, pushing off mightily with his feet and blasting forward. Professor Ozpin instinctively drew back, assuming a stance with his cane as Aiden flew past. The woman barely had time to react before he was there, fist impacting her squarely in the abdomen.

Aiden's eyes widened when her body shattered, fragments of a glassy substance falling away before disappearing completely. It was almost like he'd smashed a mirror, but he was certain that he'd hit her with the punch…

His thoughts were abruptly ended when a fist that was not his or the woman's came flying out of the space she'd inhabited to slam Aiden in the face. There was a sickening crunch as his nose was brutally smashed and his body flew backwards. The anger, there from before and barely restrained by Aiden's built up patience, finally came loose and began to flow through him. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling; a molten fire ran through his veins and made him feel like he could fight for years without end. Unfortunately not the reality, but letting his emotions take over a bit gave Aiden some extra juice. Ozpin, seeing this transpire, moved to stop the large figure that had appeared where the woman had been, but stopped when Aiden pushed himself up from the ground. A red haze surrounded his body, the mark on his arm (visible due to the fact that Aiden was not wearing his coat anymore) writhing and pulsing like a snake as crimson smoke drifted off before dissipating.

(Ambiance: I Burn by Jeff and Casey Lee Williams)

"That fucking hurt," Aiden muttered, letting out a breath when his nose snapped back into place. That was gonna be sore for a few hours.

"Brutus, don't mess'im up too bad, kay?" came the all-too-familiar voice of the woman who'd been fighting Aiden and Ozpin not two minutes ago. Safely positioned away from Aiden's enraged form and Ozpin's cautious one, she was standing there twirling her blade around in lazy circles as she addressed the man who'd appeared in her place.

Brutus, as the woman had referred to him as, stood well over Aiden's 5'11" height with fists the size of large bricks and a face equally as square. All of his muscular upper body was bared for the world to see whilst his lower half was covered by grey sweatpant-like pants tied up with a large strip of leather. The giant let out a series of grunts and what sounded like a groan before lumbering forward. One of his meaty fists flew towards Aiden blindingly and with enough force that the wind was forcefully parted wherever the fist traveled. Hazel eyes widening, Ozpin made to jump forward and deflect the blow with his Semblance before something peculiar happened. He had seen Aiden's speed first hand, and could only imagine the strength behind the last punch that Aiden had thrown. But to see him calmly standing there, feet forming a wide base and head bowed, made Ozpin wonder if he wasn't a great fool gifted with amazing power.

That thought was obliterated as Aiden _caught Brutus' fist in his right hand_. A shockwave of force exploded away from both as the walkway cracked slightly between both of them. Brutus' other hand came flying in for a lower punch to disable his tiny opponent, but hit nothing but air as Aiden sidestepped and used the larger man's size to his advantage. Rolling under Brutus' massive legs, Aiden felt the handle of Memorium appear in his hands and he dealt two quick slashes to the larger man's calves. As Brutus faltered slightly where he stood and grunted in pain, Aiden leapt into the air and kicked off of Brutus' back with both of his feet. Unable to stay upright under the pressure, Brutus fell to one knee.

Dashing forward, Aiden launched into a rapid flurry of attacks with Memorium that focused on using the weapon's momentum to carry through sweeping attacks. Brutus, like the woman, had an Aura and therefore was not cut by the blade, but welts and bruises appeared where he was struck. Giving a mighty roar, Brutus slammed Memorium away with a massive hand whilst turning and grabbing for Aiden. The smaller man nimbly dodged the predictable move, but wasn't counting on the fact that Brutus would predict _his_ action. As such, the next punch slammed into Aiden's unprotected body with the force of a small bus, driving the air from his lungs with a whoosh and sending him flying towards the opposite end of the walkway. Memorium clattered out of his hands and onto the smooth stone of the floor, where Brutus unceremoniously kicked it off the edge and spiraling away towards the earth. The woman walked over to Aiden's prone form as he lay gasping for air, bending over to look him in the eyes even as Brutus turned his attention to the advancing form of Professor Ozpin.

"I gotta say; I'm disappointed. You seemed a lot stronger than you're acting," the girl said disappointedly.

"Fuck off," Aiden muttered weakly, rolling over and hoisting himself to a kneeling position. It had been quite a while since Aiden had fought anyone as strong as Brutus, and Brutus had the added benefit of an invisible shield. If he wanted to end the fight quickly, he'd need to do some serious predicting and start using Fade.

The woman sauntered away when Aiden stood, but got no farther when the blade of a scythe appeared in front of her neck. Eyes wide with surprise, she turned to see what had happened but only received Aiden's fist to her temple. The blow was enough to knock her out cold, and Aiden focused his attention back on Brutus. It seemed like he was having the time of it; Ozpin's blows hurt, but nothing he seemed to do could bring the giant down. Aiden built up energy in his mark before unleashing a blast of crimson lightning that struck Brutus in the square of his back. Tendrils of electricity danced across his flesh as, with a hate-filled gaze, he turned to face his new (old) assailant. Aiden twirled Memorium around a bit, walking forward slowly and beckoning with one finger. Anything he could do to push the larger man's buttons would work wonders.

Brutus, it seemed, did not enjoy being taunted, and unleased a mighty bellow. Ozpin retreated a safe distance, seeing the larger man begin to gather his Aura for some sort of attack. Mind working at a million miles an hour, he ran through all the possible Semblances that someone like Brutus most likely had. With Aiden holding the giant's attention, Ozpin had plenty of time to brainstorm. More likely than not, however, the man was charging up his Semblance right now if the way the ground cracked as he ran was any indicator. Aiden met his charge head on, Memorium transforming into Legacy as the two began a kind of dance. Swift strokes from Legacy drained Brutus' Aura whilst Aiden ducked and rolled, sidestepped and parried the larger man's blows to keep the upper hand.

Somewhere in the midst of their battle, something changed. Aiden wasn't sure when, but somewhere in his last few strokes he'd accidentally parried one of Brutus' attacks too lightly and, as a result, had the sword knocked out of his hand. Without the proper time to re-summon the weapon to himself, Aiden settled into a hand-to-hand stance and began trading blows with Brutus whenever the opportunity presented itself. A heavy right hook that left the big man's right side open? An equally powerful right hook slammed into the exposed side. Trying for a grapple that pushed Brutus forward? Aiden rolled under his legs and unleashed a small flurry of hits onto his back.

As time continued to wear on, Brutus became visibly tired. Every hit from Aiden was draining his Aura, and without the concentration to keep his Semblance up Brutus was feeling them _all_. His opponent certainly didn't hit like a lightweight, despite appearing slightly that way. Ozpin, resigned to his position watching the fight (he didn't want to jump in only to become an accidental target of one of their blows), identified Brutus' Semblance once he began to tire. There was a yellow hue to his body that faded once signs of exhaustion started to manifest, and every hit from Aiden was clearly leaving marks where before they hadn't made very many.

Finally, in a last ditch attempt to put some space between himself and Aiden, Brutus gave a mighty heave and shoved forward with both his hands. Aiden, seeing the movement, ducked under the attack and channeled his energy into the mark again, his fist becoming bathed in crimson fire. He let out a roar and slammed the empowered fist into Brutus' chest, creating an explosion of force and sending the taller man flying onto the far side of the walkway. Cracks webbed dangerously from the point of impact, spurring Ozpin into action as a massive crack split the air. The walkway was going down, and it was taking Aiden and Brutus with it. The older man rushed forward, putting up his shield and attempting to close the distance between himself and Aiden.

He fell short of Aiden, however, as with an ear-splitting groan the walkway collapsed. Chunks of white cracked stone plummeted towards the earth along with Ozpin, Aiden, and Brutus. Aiden, shaking himself free of his battle-stupor, deflected a falling rock away from his head as he entered free fall. Crimson energy began to encircle his form as he thought of a way to land safely on the ground without breaking anything major. That was when he noticed Ozpin, who's shield had dissipated and who had begun to fall in a very odd fashion.

A wary glance towards the ground revealed that they were coming close to the point of no return; it was now or never. Aiden's instincts took over and he blasted himself closer to Ozpin with his crimson energy. The older man wasn't knocked out, but his eyes held a disoriented look and there was a bruise on the upper part of his head. _"He must've gotten hit by a rock on the way down,"_ Aiden thought, grabbing Ozpin and beginning to channel his energy again. The boost from the anger was still flowing, and he planned on making the best use of it that he could.

Energy swirled around the pair as they plummeted towards certain death, Aiden working overtime in preparation for what he was about to do. Since he couldn't create anything with his power, that left out him stretching his wings and flying them away (which he created). As Aiden checked again, he noticed they'd passed the point of no return. _"Good thing I've already got him,"_ he thought dryly. The time ticked by; five seconds left. Four. Three. Two.

Surprisingly, there were many onlookers to the spectacle occurring. A certain General of the Atlesian military watched tensely as the stranger they'd apprehended earlier began to surround himself and Professor Ozpin with a swirling crimson vortex. Elsewhere, twin eyes of pure amber watched in great interest as a new asset presented itself to their cause. His saving of Ozpin was trivial; with the proper bait, he'd follow their cause just as easily as any other. Besides them, there were several soldiers present who simply watched in horror as one of the sturdiest structures ever built appeared to collapse right before their eyes.

All present bore witness to the crimson flash that appeared several meters away from the point of impact and the silver-haired man that appeared there. They were also all present for the other hurtling form that slammed into the ground farther away with the force of a small explosion. Dirt and rock were churned as Aiden tumbled across the ground, barely keeping his shield intact to absorb the majority of the damage. That stunt had been a new one for the Hero; Fading to get Ozpin to safety and proceeding to create an energy shield to keep him from breaking too many bones was something he'd not tried before. _"And,"_ he thought as his momentum finally faded and he rolled to a painful stop on the grass, _"I hope I never have to do that again."_

For a while he laid there, pain wracking his body as his power worked to patch up the bumps, bruises, broken bones, and other serious wounds. Only when a shadow appeared overhead, blotting out the sun and prompting Aiden to open his eyes, did he consider standing. Ozpin, looking slightly worse for wear since being knocked silly, was gazing down at him with appreciation and bewilderment.

Now he'd seen some things. Everyone in Remnant had, or would, at one point or another. But to be saved by a man who had seemingly teleported him away from certain death, and then for said man to still be alive despite impacting the ground like a small meteor, was new. Today, it seemed, was just full of new-ness.

"You saved my life," Ozpin stated.

"Yup," Aiden managed to croak out, wincing slightly. It hurt a little to talk.

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Well," Aiden tried for the most shit-eating grin he could manage, "I'd like to ask you some questions."

* * *

 **A/N: It's been a long time since I've updated anything, and for that I apologize. I've gotten quite a bit more done on this particular work, and I'll be trying to hold myself to an upload schedule. Here's to hoping I can do that for once *clinks glass*! Anywho, happy New Year to you all and I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors. As always, feel free to tell me how I've done (because honestly that helps a lot). Stay Frosty.**


	7. Arc 1 - Chapter Five

**Chapter Five – A New Sort of Hero**

* * *

"So the separate continents are pretty much known for their capital cities?"

"Indeed."

"But there are other cities on each one?"

"Yes."

"So are there other cities in Vale?"

"A few scattered towns and villages."

"What about unpopulated areas, or areas recently affected by some sort of natural disaster?"

"None come to mind."

Aiden leaned back in the soft dark high-backed chair he'd been graciously provided. After Aiden had felt ready to do something more than grovel in the dirt, they'd been escorted (by a general-esq man) to an airship that bussed them all the way to Beacon Academy. Ozpin had taken precautions to ensure that Aiden wasn't seen by any of the students or anyone other than his trusted circle of friends. Now surrounded by three others (who Aiden had learned were Glynda, a blonde woman; James, the General man from earlier; and Qrow, a drunkard with a knack for scythes), Aiden was seated in front of Professor Ozpin's desk as the two exchanged questions.

He'd learned a lot about Remnant; all four others present had been willing to part with information about anything Aiden was curious on. In exchange, Aiden had described himself, Valoran, and his powers in as much detail as he could. Of course many in the small group had been skeptical; Aiden himself was more open to the idea of inter-dimensional travelers due to Valoran's disposition of being right smack dab in the middle of seemingly everything, but for a group of people who'd never experienced anything like it? The idea must have been quite absurd.

"So how does your Au- regeneration work again?" came Ironwood's deep and firm tone. He was a man of the military, and had seen his fair share of battles. Aiden saw many similarities between James and Losfar.

"It's pretty straightforward: I get hit and if it bleeds or hurts, my body will heal it," Aiden explained for the third time.

"So let's say I shot you right now…" Qrow added, peering curiously at Aiden. Alcohol was reek on the man's breath, and Aiden had to stop himself from outright gagging at the smell.

"How about we _not_ do that and just say we did?"

He was still sore from the stunt he'd pulled earlier, and with how much energy he'd drained all Aiden really felt like doing was taking a long nap. But, unfortunately, he needed more info on the world he'd jumped into. In order to do any saving, it was vital he knew what could be threatening it first. So far, he'd gathered that there was definitely opposition; a terrorist organization known as the White Fang had grown in activity recently, and all parties present agreed that they felt a larger force was behind the sudden aggression.

"My apologies Mr. Crownguard, but you look like you could do with some rest," Ironwood interjected, throwing a glare towards Qrow who simply shrugged contemptuously.

"No need to apologize general. I've talked you all to death already and I _am_ a bit beat after that stunt I pulled. I don't want to be a bother anymore, but is there anywhere I might hole-up for a while? Your currency is still something I'm a bit scarce on, and seeing as this is my first time in Vale…" Aiden trailed off, hoping beyond hope that there was somewhere he could stay. Camping in the wilderness with all those Grimm creatures didn't sound very appealing to the newly arrived hero.

"Of course," Ozpin replied, reaching under his desk and pulling out a strange tablet-like device. "But first, you'll need one of these. For the time being, I believe it would be beneficial for everyone if you were to stay on campus here at Beacon. Perhaps we'll even find you a job, hmm? You do seem to be rather skilled at combat, after all."

Aiden accepted the device, turning it over in his hands briefly before pocketing it in his jacket. Ozpin's offer was not lost on him; play his cards right, _show_ that they could trust him completely, and he'd have a place here at the academy. He'd also have a place in their inner circle, which would grant him access to the goings on around the world of Remnant. That would most certainly prove useful in time.

But for right now, Aiden had to earn those rights.

"Alright. Where will I be staying?" he asked, turning and making his way to the twin elevators that made up the way to Ozpin's office.

"There's a section in the West Wing that is marked as restricted. The Scroll in your pocket will grant you access to the rooms there, so feel free to choose as you please," Ozpin said, seating himself behind his desk as the other members present watched Aiden enter the elevator.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I can't begin to thank you enough now, but hopefully one day I'll be able to repay these favors," Aiden thanked, hitting the down button and bowing his head towards Ozpin.

"We can only hope," Ozpin muttered as the doors closed.

* * *

Making his way across the courtyard towards the main school building, Aiden paused for a second as he remembered something important; the earpiece that Exavier and Sypher had given him. The duo had wanted him to try it out once he was in the new world, but caught up in the excitement of fighting and discovering his limitations Aiden had completely forgotten. Up until now, at least. Pressing down on it and finding it to still be inside his earlobe, Aiden tested it out.

"Exavier? Sypher? Can you two hear me?" he spoke out loud, hoping beyond a hope that maybe, just maybe…

"Aiden! What's going on? Are you in the other world yet?" came Exavier's excited lilt. Aiden breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking whatever gods existed on this world that the earpiece worked.

"Exavier, thank goodness. Yes, I'm in the other world right now," Aiden replied. There was a muffled shout of joy from the other end.

"It worked! That means it worked Aiden!" Sypher suddenly shouted, making Aiden wince a little as the eccentric man's voice appeared.

"I know Sypher, that's why I'm able to be holding this conversation with you two," he laughed, secretly overjoyed that it was working. But that didn't explain how it worked, or how the time difference wasn't somehow affecting their ability to talk. "How is all of this working though? Things are supposed to be…complicated between the worlds."

"It's a piece of technology Sypher and I have been working on for a while. The device we gave you was a small, portable version of the larger copy we have here. I'm just astounded it actually worked," Exavier explained.

"It uses fragments of a special crystal found on Mount Targon to transmit whatever signal we need it to across all sorts of distances. We tested it on things that signal can't pass through and it still worked, so we figured that your little expedition would be the perfect opportunity to test it some more. Turns out we were right and it worked," Sypher pitched in, sounding pleased with himself.

"The location explains why…" Aiden muttered to himself, shaking his head and scratching his chin.

Mount Targon was one of the largest mountains and mountain ranges in all of Valoran. But the peak was not renowned simply for being one of the highest; it was renowned for the patron god who defended it. The Mountain itself housed a plethora of beasts, spirits, and wandering tribes of deity worshipping warriors such as the Solari and Lunari. Housed at its peak was where the legendary star dragon Aurelion Sol dwelled in his free time and where those looking to beseech the stars often attempted to travel. Many did not make it past the slopes of the imposing mountain.

Due to its imposing height, colorful past, and rampant magical energy, it came as no surprise to Aiden that a crystal harvested from somewhere on the mountain might possess the power to allow inter-worldly communication. Or, he reasoned, perhaps even bigger or better things.

"Aiden, make sure to contact us if you ever need any help with something. There isn't much we can do here, but perhaps if you ever need a new perspective…?" Exavier offered suddenly, jolting Aiden from his thoughts.

"Yeah, thanks Exavier. I'll keep it in mind," Aiden assured him. "Talk to you two later."

"Till next time," their voices said in unison. Removing his hand from the earpiece, Aiden mentally shook himself a bit before continuing forward.

* * *

A few minutes later, Aiden found himself peering down an extensive hallway system as he tried to piece together which direction the West Wing might be in. There were few students out at the time; most, he assumed, would be in classes or their dormitories. Letting out a small sigh, he made to move down the left hallway but failed to notice the girl who nearly sprinted out of her dormitory room and directly into him. Nearly losing his footing, Aiden stumbled backwards a few steps and hurriedly looked around, spotting his victim and quickly offering his hand to her.

"Oh jeeze, I'm sorr…y?" he trailed off as the person grabbed his hand and he hoisted them to their feet. A pair of silver irises looked back into his crimson ones as his mind did a double-take.

 _"No way,"_ Aiden and Ruby both thought at the same time, hands retracted quickly as they realized who they had just bumped into.

"Y-you're the-!" Ruby started, right hand instinctively going to where she usually kept her scythe Crescent Rose.

"Wait wait wait! I can explain!" Aiden said, holding up his hands defensively. _"Smooths moves slick,"_ Aiden thought to himself sarcastically, _"whaddya gonna explain? Why you tried to cleave her in half with your scythe?"_

The girl's hand retracted a bit from her back where some kind of big metal device was hanging ominously, eliciting a small sigh of relief from Aiden.

"So clearly you remember me from the other day," Aiden began hesitantly, watching the girl carefully for her reactions. "And I remember you. I _think_ that we might've had a bit of a misunderstanding then, though. So can we just…talk about this like civilized people, please?"

"Then your explanation had better be a damned good one," another voice pitched in, this one deeper and more irritated than the red-haired girl's. Aiden hazarded a glance over his shoulder to find a pair of smoldering red eyes, almost similar in color to his own, staring daggers into him.

"N-nice to see you too, blondie."

* * *

 **A/N: Man I'm bad at uploading the chapters. Somehow I managed to lose track of what I'd put into the story and I had a duplicate chapter. Whoops. Anywho, hope everyone enjoys this one! If you've got any questions or concerns for me, feel free to send me a PM or drop a review. Wishing you all the best of luck, and as always, hoping you Stay Frosty.**


	8. Arc 1 - Chapter Six

**Chapter 6 – A New Sort of Hero Part 2**

* * *

Aiden slumped onto the tattered couch tiredly, letting one of his arms cover his eyes.

"I forgot how stressful this hero stuff is…" he muttered to himself, letting out a sigh and rolling over onto his side. The explanation to Team RWBY (it had been _extensive_ ) had gone well, if he didn't say so himself.

Well, nobody had been hitting anybody else so that was a plus at least.

In the process, he'd learned their names as well as a bit about them just based on how they reacted to some of what he'd said. Yang and Weiss, the blonde and the white-haired girl, respectively, still didn't trust him. He didn't blame them for that; he _had_ almost cleaved their leader, the red and black-haired Ruby, in half with a scythe. Blake, the one dressed in all monochrome colors, had seemed indifferent to the whole affair and only asked that he not cause any trouble. Ruby, bless her honest soul, had appeared to be the only one who really trusted him to any degree.

In the end, they'd all given the impression that they at least believed his story of not being from Remnant. As a plus, they'd all agreed not to say anything to anyone else so that meant his identity could be localized and not public. Aiden had always found that working as a hero from the shadows certainly had its benefits, like freedom of movement and action. When a lot of people knew who you were, they tended to get in your way more than they could help. At least the current company who knew his backstory seemed like they could all hold their own in a fight.

Uncovering his eyes, Aiden glanced around his new living quarters as well as he could from his current position. There didn't seem to be any beds; why would there be when nobody was living there? For the time being, he reasoned, he'd be sleeping on one of the couches or chairs he found around the space. On the upside, the couch seemed comfy enough. That was his last thought before his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, the exhaustion of his actions earlier in the day finally catching up with him.

* * *

"Real heroes don't feel fear."

Aiden flinched when he heard those words. He could see, no, _feel_ that this was a dream. But Lux, standing there with a blank expression talking, was so real. It was hard to remember that this was all just a figment of his sleeping mind.

"Real heroes _protect_ the innocents."

He almost threw up when he opened his eyes again to find Ruby's lifeless ones staring back at him. Blood coated her midsection as a horrible gash, too horrible to describe, ran the length of her stomach. Aiden wanted to run forward, wanted to pump every ounce of energy he had into her body and heal her, make her better, but he was frozen to the spot. Then the chanting began.

"Murderer."

He hadn't killed anyone. Had he? It had been so long; it was hard to remember. Ruby wasn't dead; that much was certain. But the voices…did they lie?

…no.

He knew. Could tell instinctively. He had killed before, had murdered an innocent with his own hands. Since when was a murderer like him worthy of being called "Hero?"

"Never. You're a murderer."

"Shut up," he mumbled, feeling the first drops of blood fall from his fingers. Everything was painted red: the walls, the ceiling, the floor, his body. Bathed in red, a deep crimson that whispered dark secrets in his ears.

"I said; shut the hell up," he said, louder this time, raising his eyes from the floor. What he found tested his fortitude to its maximum limits.

Bodies with the faces of everybody he'd met, everyone he'd ever cared for, were strung from the black nothingness with ropes of crimson. They were all mangled and twisted almost beyond recognition, making him instinctively take a step backwards. Something in his mind screamed for him to flee, to run away and never turn back.

"But heroes don't feel fear," he reminded himself tiredly, already feeling Legacy's hilt in his hands as the corpses began to move. He'd danced this charade before, and if his mind was so keen on torturing him then he would indulge it.

This wasn't the first time he'd dreamt this. This wouldn't be the last. But he'd be damned if he gave up now.

* * *

 _Tap tap tap_

A slight tapping sound filled Aiden's head as his mind began to piece itself back together from the night's tribulations. Opening his eyes groggily, Aiden found the room he was currently in to still be dark. A small sliver of light creeped in through the dorm window, not nearly enough to have woken Aiden on its own but more than enough to dimly reveal the room to his eyes. Sitting up from his position on the fluffy brown couch that he had chosen to sleep on, Aiden squinted his eyes as he wondered why he'd awoken. The tapping sound returned, queuing him in to the reason.

Swinging his legs over the side of the couch and standing up, Aiden let loose a monster yawn and stretched his arms above his head. Slightly tousling his messy hair in a half-assed attempt to make it somehow look like he _hadn't_ just woken up, Aiden walked over to the door and placed a hand on the knob. Waiting for the knocking to subside (he didn't feel like leaving someone hanging this early in the morning), Aiden suddenly turned the handle and opened the door. Standing there was none other than Ruby, who looked equal parts timid and taken aback at his sudden appearance. She glanced quickly over his form, noting how disheveled the older man looked, before letting out a small gasp and remembering her reason for being there.

"P-Professor Ozpin asked me to come get you," she said, hands finding their way to her sides. Aiden kept looking down at her for a few more seconds, mentally trying to wake himself up enough to fully comprehend what she'd asked.

"Sorry for coming to your room this earl-." Aiden held up a hand to silence the young reaper, letting out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding.

"Where?" he asked simply, hand moving to scratch his face instead.

"The training arena. He asked me to show you where it is," Ruby explained, still sounding apologetic.

"Alright Ruby, lead on," he replied, submitting himself to his early rise. At least it meant he didn't have to deal with the nightmare for any longer.

As soon as he'd finished, Aiden looked down again only to find a trail of rose petals where Ruby had been. Blinking rapidly for a few seconds, he heard a rush of air as she suddenly appeared in front of him again. Another apologetic smile was on her face, along with a color akin to that of her name.

"S-sorry, sometimes I forget other people aren't as fast as me and I can get ahead of myself a lot and I didn't really mean to leave you behind like that and…" she trailed off as she caught Aiden's bemused expression.

"I think you forgot to mention your rambling," he teased lightly, recalling how the girl had spoken the previous day when her team had interviewed him thoroughly. Suffice to say, she'd been rather 'ramble-y' then as well.

Ruby's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson if it was possible, gesturing with her hands down the hallway.

"Can we just go?"

"Sure thing. Lead on," Aiden shrugged, placing his hands in his coat pockets (he hadn't changed before he'd slept; he didn't really have any other clothes to actually change into) as he began to follow his fellow reaper. Although he was sure she was still skeptical of his origins, Aiden could tell that Ruby was actively attempting to move past the unfortunate series of events that had been their first meeting.

It took no small amount of willpower, and for that Aiden was extremely grateful to the girl. Even the most laid-back of the bunch, Yang, had been giving off an air of distrust and uncertainty. Truth be told, Aiden probably wouldn't trust strange men who he'd met in a forest somewhere and had also tried to kill him. Never left a good impression on whoever you met.

They walked for quite a time, passing many different areas of the school in the process. Eventually, Aiden tuned out where he was and focused more on his current appearance. Tapping into his energy reserves a little bit, Aiden managed to get his hair to stop sticking up all over the place and somewhat smooth the wrinkles in his clothes before Ruby suddenly stopped. He halted as well, gaze turning to what lay directly in front of him. Said object happened to be a rather large opening through which the sounds of combat could be heard. Explosions, steel clashing, that sort of thing. Fully expecting that (Ruby had said 'arena' after all; what else was an arena used for?), Aiden moved past his young guide and stepped into the room.

It was quite a lot like an amphitheater or a lecture hall; rows of singular seats with small pull-down desks lined the majority of the room with a small walkway running the length of the top. The incline up the rows of desks was rather gradual, leaving plenty of room near the front portion of the large room for a circular platform upon which two figures were currently duking it out. It dominated much of the space, as was to be expected in an area where students could actively fight.

Noticing the man clothed fully in green spectating the fight with an indifferent expression on his face and the buxom blonde standing next to him, Aiden made his way across the floor and to where they were standing. Both turned their attention to him as he approached, and Ozpin's face lit up with an expression that bordered on…happiness? Mentally shrugging, Aiden closed the last few feet of distance between them in a few strides before stopping.

"Ozpin, Glynda," he said, nodding to each in turn. Goodwitch gave a short "Hmph!" in response while Ozpin just sipped his coffee.

"Mr. Crownguard, a good morning to you," Ozpin replied before his mouth found his coffee mug again.

"Likewise. I'm interested to know why you sent Ruby to fetch me this early in the morning."

Ozpin allowed a small smile to ghost his features before he responded.

"Today, we will be examining you to see if you have what it takes to instruct these students in the art of combat. From Team RWBY's personal reports, it sounds like you are quite skilled with both the blade and your fists."

Aiden nodded, recognizing Ozpin's underlying message: "Mess this up and you can kiss that job you wanted goodbye."

"Sounds fair enough. When do we start?" he asked eagerly, knowing a good fight would help him start his day off right. If he played his cards right, it would also help him get a foothold in Remnant, one that would give him a good vantage point to begin scouting out the underlying problem he was there to solve.

This time, it was Professor Goodwitch who answered him.

"We will begin as soon as this match is over. You will be fighting three different opponents, each of them students here at Beacon. Since you don't have an Aura to protect you, your loss conditions will be different than what we usually apply. Ring-out, sustained bodily injury, or conceding will all lose you the match," Goodwitch explained. Aiden nodded slowly, a question coming to his mind.

"What are we considering 'sustained bodily injury?'"

"I have a fake Aura monitor that will act as a substitute for the real thing in determining your Aura levels. It's been calculated based on a combination of reports, my own included," Ozpin explained. "You just need to put this on."

Ozpin handed him what appeared to be some kind of heart monitor. It was naught more than a circular device with a touch-screen and a leather strap that was used to hold it in place. Accepting it curiously, Aiden deftly strapped the device to his chest (under his coat at Ozpin's suggestion) using his experience with belting swords to his back. He preferred the back-sheathe, but sometimes the traditional side sheathes became necessary to implement.

"Alright," he declared, having finished strapping the device to himself, "let's get this show on the road."

"One more thing, Mr. Crownguard," Goodwitch interjected, stepping forward again. Aiden glanced at her quizzically. "You are _not_ to use deadly force when combating the students. Their auras will absorb the majority of your hits without leaving them with more than bruises, but you must stop fighting when the match is called."

"I've fought duels with allies before Goodwitch. This isn't exactly my first time hefting a sword or swinging my fists either, and I'd appreciate if you didn't try to coddle me," Aiden shot back, surprising all who were listening with how icy his voice had gotten. He was just sick and tired of everyone on Remnant immediately assuming this was his first time ever doing anything like this.

If it had been, he certainly wouldn't have been the one to stop Gorgreth.

Noticing that the room had gone quiet, including the background noises of fighting, Aiden swiveled his head around to take in the reason why. When he noticed everyone (Yang and some blue-haired boy were the two who'd been duking it out) looking at him with mixed expressions, a hand instinctively went to his forehead and he sighed.

"Look," Aiden began, "I'm sorry. I'd appreciate it if everyone could stop assuming I'm new to this whole thing. Honestly, I wouldn't be here if I was."

His words held an honesty to them that was undeniable, and everyone present realized it. He never would have survived two seconds in Remnant if he'd been inexperienced or weak; with no Aura to protect him from the blows of others, his body was wide open to serious and deadly injury. But so far he'd survived battling a horde of Grimm, standing toe to toe with a sociopath and her literal giant of a bodyguard, and falling from a secret military prison only to save both himself and Ozpin. Here he stood in front of them all, unscathed save for a few bruised bones that had yet to fully heal. They didn't know him, and it would take some getting used to the idea that he was from an entirely different world.

But Aiden was not the 17-year-old boy he'd been when this ordeal had begun. He wasn't a fresh-faced hopeful in awe of his own powers, in awe of the powers of everyone around him. Years and experience had toughened him, turned him into a fighter of substantial endurance and skill. His powers furthered these traits, making him the perfect material for the hero he'd needed to be. The same could be said for many in the multiverse, but only Aiden stood before Vale's protectors as a beacon of hope beginning to shine from an uncertain darkness.

"Very well Mr. Crownguard," Ozpin suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and nodding at the slightly distraught man.

"Thank you," he breathed, straightening up and taking a deep breath. "Now, who's first on the roster?"

* * *

 **A/N: If anyone has questions or concerns for me, feel free to drop a review. Thanks to everyone for reading; Stay Frosty.**


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